164 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



— there are four more pairings, in quick succession, between the 

 same brown Buff and a Eeeve, which, as I cannot identify her, 

 I will not assume to be the same who chose him yesterday. 

 Possibly, too, there is another nuptial consummation, in which 

 the blue-maned bird before mentioned plays his part. Of this, 

 however, I cannot be sure — it is a business, indeed, when all 

 moves and changes so quickly, to make out all that goes on. 

 Then, whilst things are at their height, the whole flock fly off 

 together, to return, again, in but a few seconds. 



At 6.30 a Eeeve makes her way, with evident intention, all 

 through the crowd of Buffs — who "do protest" to her — and 

 from one side of the lists to the other, to the brown bird so often 

 alluded to, and not to be confounded with any other one, with 

 whom she is soon "in the very lists of love," and then twice 

 again, at short intervals, and once more, after a longer one. 

 That is to say, I think so. Four pairings there most certainly 

 are, but whether all with the same Beeve it is impossible to say 

 with certainty, for another one is now there, and amidst the 

 moving bodies, by which they are sometimes hidden, it is im- 

 possible to keep them distinct. Now, a moment later, I count 

 four Beeves in all, whilst, at one time, there have been five, 

 if not six. Another one now flies in — but before this some of 

 the others have gone, so she may be one of them— and walks up 

 to the attractive brown Buff, beside whom she stands, but there 

 is nothing further between them. The scene is quieting, and 

 the pairing seems to be over for the morning. Possibly, had I 

 stayed, I should have seen more, and something, perhaps, of 

 new interest ; but at 7.20, after enduring it as long as I can, I 

 am constrained to come out on account of the intense and now 

 wholly unbearable cold, which strikes through everything I have 

 on, though short of the arctic regions I should have thought 

 myself fairly invulnerable. Other elements, of a less straight- 

 forward nature, such as I have before touched on, have not been 

 wanting during these scenes. There have been, for instance, at 

 least three male unisexual coitions, whilst one Buff is at this 

 moment assiduously courting another. My impression, how- 

 ever, is that these false rites have been performed more often. 



Thus, then, in 4 hours — or, say, 3| from the time things may 

 be said to have begun — there have been twelve pairings, and ten 



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