28 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



and b.egins to court her. This he does in the way I have 

 described before, but with this addition, or rather amplification — 

 there is no new feature — viz., that, having passed by her from 

 behind, he continues to walk away, then turns, comes back, 

 and does the same thing. It is evident that the hen has 

 only to look in the direction in which he is walking, each 

 time, after leaving her (i. e. straight before her), to have a full 

 view of the white tail, which is displayed now to the best advan- 

 tage. This was the principal point of interest. That every 

 beauty of the plumage is well shown to the female seems now 

 evident, but the spectacle of the courtship was a good deal spoilt, 

 for me, by my being often unable to see the hen, her sober 

 brown body — which is also smaller than the male's — getting 

 hidden amongst the tufts of the heather ; whenever I located 

 her, however, as I did every now and then, she was situated as 

 indicated by the cock's actions, and, once or twice, walking behind 

 him, as he thus paced away from her, for she did not keep still. 

 No further point of intimacy, however, was reached, and, after 

 awhile, the hen flew away. 



The conduct of the hen, therefore, this morning, was this. 

 She first flies into a small fir-tree — not more than a shrub — 

 growing amidst the heather of the assembly-ground, where the 

 two defiant rivals are waiting, and midway between them. Then 

 she flies to one of them, by whom she is courted, receives his 

 attentions, but is not overpowered by them, and leaves. This 

 is not what I understand by playing a passive part. On the 

 contrary, she shows an active interest, though reserving her 

 decision, and there is no indication of her being at either of the 

 males' disposal. The power of invitation, permission, and veto, 

 seems to lie with her; which reminds me that I have never yet 

 heard it explained by those who have faith in the " indifference " 

 of the female birds, why she comes to this particular class of 

 assembly at all. 



After the hen's departure, the two cocks continue to vaunt 

 themselves, as before, but the martial spirit of the one that has 

 been tentatively selected seems risen, in consequence, and, in a 

 series of little flights, over the ground, and advances, upon it, he 

 enters the territory of the other, who moves to meet him, in a 

 similar spirit. The spectacle is now one of two timid boxers 



