THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 780.— June. 1906. 



OBSEEVATIONS TENDING to THEOW LIGHT on the 

 QUESTION of SEXUAL SELECTION in BIRDS, IN- 

 CLUDING a DAY-TO-DAY DIARY on the BREEDING 

 HABITS of the RUFF (MACHETES PUGNAX). 



By Edmund Selous. 



The following observations were made in a part of Holland 

 by no means difficult of access, and which can be approached by 

 any of the ordinary routes. My object in making them was to 

 get some first-hand evidence in regard to sexual selection, but, 

 though for the most part they come under the title which I have 

 given to this paper, I have not wished to hamper myself by a too 

 close limitation to the main subject of inquiry, or to exclude what 

 might have only an indirect bearing upon it. With respect to 

 the Ruff, in particular, I have described all I saw, and should 

 anyone think that I had better have left out certain things which 

 I saw, I can only say, frankly, that I am not of that opinion, 

 and that it is not my habit to do so. With this short preamble, 

 I commence my record. 



April 9th, 1906. — I have now twice seen the pairing of 

 Mallards — each time a different couple. The commencement, 

 unfortunately, escaped me in both instances, but immediately 

 after its accomplishment the drake swept proudly through the 

 water, whilst the female dipped and ducked excitedly, then rose 

 in the water and flapped her wings, as did her husband also a 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. X., June, 1906. r 



