374 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



very active and vigorous black-ruffed bird, but with him she 

 would have nothing to do ; but, after pausing a little and turning 

 her head with a curious expression that, immediately preceding, 

 as it did, her further onward course, had remarkably the appear- 

 ance of an adverse decision, she went on to the other one, to 

 whom she unmistakably manifested her partiality. The rival 

 Buff, however, now ran up, when a scuffle of no duration, and 

 having no particular result, ensued between the two. They were 

 then again separated, and the Eeeve, going up to the same bird, 

 invited him as before, but still more markedly. But again the 

 black Buff intervened (this was before the rite had begun, or was 

 actually on the point of beginning), there was another scuffle, 

 and, as the result of this, he retreated. Here then was a very 

 decided case of partiality — twice shown — and the bird chosen 

 was the victor in the second encounter — in my opinion as the 

 direct result of the favour bestowed on him.* Now, then, one 

 might have expected to see the rite consummated, but these 

 scenes, apparently, had not been to the taste of the Beeve, and 

 after standing, for a little, with a hesitating demeanour, she flew 

 off. Disturbal had influenced her more than the victory of the 

 bird for whom she had shown the most unmistakable preference. 

 Theoretically devoted to " vigour," it had not attracted her even 

 when favourable to her desires. In all probability, however, 

 she would not have acted in the same way, in the quite early 

 morning, but later, after the first saturnalia, the Beeves, as I 

 have often noticed, are much more modest in their deportment, 

 and the Buffs themselves show less ardour. Such times are 

 often more favourable for detecting the true actions and motives 

 of the female than when these are more apt to be obscured by 

 the general commotion and excitement that obtain. 



In the afternoon I am at the watch-house about 4. There 

 is a considerable amount of activity, nine or ten Beeves 

 being sometimes on the ground together, the Buffs varying in 

 numbers from about that to some fifteen. Of these only four are 

 paid any attention to by the Beeves, viz. the brown, the blue, the 

 black, and the brown-ruffed and black or chocolate-headed bird 



* A bird's energy in battle is in proportion to the impulse from which it 

 springs, and this factor is of such importance that it needs a great deal of 

 physical inequality to nullify it. 



