SEXUAL SELECTION IN BIRDS. 369 



apprehensive, whilst paying his attentions to the Eeeves, he 

 would make a rush or two, usually in one direction, against birds 

 on the outer part of the territory, that I have not seen pair — 

 the nuptial plumage, indeed, of several of these is not yet much 

 advanced. On one or two occasions I have seen him come into 

 collision with the other favoured Euff, whose place is next his, 

 but though these few encounters — I can only recall two — were 

 brisk and spirited, they were only of some seconds' duration, and 

 seemed to be equal, or rather negative, in regard to results. In 

 fact, though a powerful bird and equal, probably, to anything 

 that may come in his way, he seems, for a Euff, to be of rather 

 a peaceable disposition, and is also more sedentary than any of 

 the others. Much the same may be said in regard to the blue 

 bird — who is also very fond of keeping still in his place — though 

 his contests, in the last few days, owing to the chance of his 

 position, have been more numerous. Though generally holding 

 his own on these occasions, I certainly cannot say that he has 

 done so more than several other birds with whom he has fought, 

 and to all of whom he has been, till lately, preferred. There 

 are, for instance, two, a good deal like himself — especially one — 

 but from whom he is easily distinguished by the very striking 

 character of his creamy head-plumes, and another black, or 

 dark-ruffed one — not the favourite that I have mentioned — who 

 seem to be quite his equals, and with the two first of whom I 

 have seen him have several short fights, wherein he gained no 

 apparent advantage. If there is a difference, however, I should 

 say that he was not quite the equal in prowess of these birds,* 

 and not so active as one of them — the black-ruffed one aforesaid, 

 who seems a very energetic bird. Yet none of the three, nor 

 any other bird except the brown, and now the successful black 

 one, have had anything like the favours that have been accorded 

 to him. 



In the early days I was struck by the way in which the 

 Eeeves repaired to this bird, and, still more markedly, to the 

 brown one — by neither of whom, most certainly, have they, in 



c Such an opinion, however, is of little or no value. The fact is that the 

 fighting is not sufficient, or sufficiently sustained for this point (of which 

 so much is made by those who ignore the real one, the power of the hen, 

 namely) to come out. 



