370 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



any sense of the word, been won by fighting, or by any kind of 

 physical activity — whilst leaving all others neglected. Then 

 came coitions, far less frequent, with three or four other birds — 

 perhaps six in all, I do not think more — and now this black- 

 mailed lion has become, apparently, the favourite, for the 

 Beeves — it was so yesterday, and has been so again this morn- 

 ing—go to him before they do to the brown or the blue one. 

 Still, they have never abandoned these, and, as far as numbers 

 are concerned, there have never been more at the disposal of 

 this later fancy than at that of the brown bird, at any rate. 

 Yesterday they came down to the latter in a little crowd, and 

 this morning it was much the same thing, though he paired less 

 often than yesterday, or usually. This, however, was not for 

 want of invitations. 



How does the case stand then — as far as it is possible to 

 follow anything so long, so intricate, and which one can only 

 observe at intervals, and not from beginning to end ? If the 

 black-ruffed bird won the Beeves through his fighting qualities — 

 of which I have not seen sufficient evidence — yet, most assuredly, 

 neither the brown- nor the blue-ruffed one did. Yet these two 

 were chosen first, during a comparatively quiet period, when 

 fighting was not nearly so much in evidence as now ; so that, 

 having secured harems before anyone else, they should be the 

 fathers of a good many first broods, which, by having been 

 hatched early, would allow their mates good time in which to 

 lay again ; and, moreover, it seems but reasonable to suppose 

 that they would secure a certain number of other Beeves later. 

 This ought to make their characteristics predominant in the 

 descendants left by the community in that particular year, and 

 if there were only the same Buffs and Beeves during following 

 years, the process, it seems likely, would be continued, for, even 

 if old attachments were not remembered, the tastes which had 

 produced them would, in all probability, remain the same. 

 Should new birds, however, join the community, this might 

 introduce a disturbing element, but I cannot learn from inquiry 

 that the number of the Buffs on these shore-lands is increasing 

 from year to year. I cannot help thinking, myself, however, 

 that, as the Buffs are undoubtedly polygamous, so are the Beeves 

 polyandrous — in fact, that there must be promiscuity, though 



