170 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



appeared to me, to their being a little stupid, if not actually 

 half-witted, are easily disposed of ; but how can this come in, 

 seeing that such birds could be no rivals in any case, and that 

 there are other and more efficient ones all about ? The long- 

 continued fighting of any Buff would be rather a disadvantage to 

 it than otherwise, since it would be off the scene whilst other 

 birds were actively courting the Beeves — and this may have 

 something to do with my not having seen any such protracted 

 duels whilst a Eeeve was present, and only one moderately so 

 during her absence. Again — and this, too, may be an effect of 

 natural selection — it is a curious fact that, though, up to the time 

 of the commencement of the rite, no Euff is immune, yet I have 

 seen no instance of interference with it whilst actually in process. 

 Were it otherwise, then, with so many birds together, it is diffi- 

 cult to see how the act could ever be accomplished. However, 

 even before, and whilst the male is making ready in the most 

 noticeable manner, he seems almost always to be let alone, and 

 if not, it is by mere accident. In fact, I cannot make out that, 

 by fighting, the birds seriously hinder one another in their 

 designs, nor can I think of any one amongst them who has made 

 himself particularly conspicuous as a combatant. Whether the 

 Eeeves pay any attention to the fighting I cannot say, but I have 

 seen no evidence of it, whereas they are certainly not indifferent 

 to the courting actions of the males, though they may be often 

 either unnecessary or steadfastly resisted. But both in the first 

 and the last case their choice may have been already made. The 

 impossibility, almost, of both seeing and knowing that you see the 

 first choice of any bird is to be regretted, but the evidence in 

 regard to sexual selection is not thereby affected, since choice is 

 choice whenever exercised, and the more so if reasserted. 



I was down again at 3 p.m., and about 4 some Eeeves came 

 in, and pairing took place, but only with the brown and the blue 

 Euff, before mentioned — with the latter only once, with the for- 

 mer seven or eight times at the least. The Eeeves were, at first, 

 four, and then six in number, and the appearance was as though 

 four, at least, constituted the brown Buff's seraglio. He certainly 

 paired with two, but beyond this I could not identify them, owing 

 to their similarity and change of position. He occupied the 

 same position on the pairing-ground as this morning, and I here 



