SEXUAL SELECTION IN BIBDS. 423 



for half an hour, or perhaps even more, at a time ; so that, if 

 they were not dull-coloured birds, they might be cited as evidence 

 of that superior vigour which it is our duty to find, throughout 

 nature, in association with bright colouring. This, I think, is a 

 little hard on them — the Coots — but Swifts, Swallows, Pere- 

 grines, &c, are in the same predicament. However, here is the 

 Euff, and the height and the elastic vigour of the springs which 

 these two made was quite wonderful to see. Who could doubt 

 that they owed it all to their colour, or help wondering that they 

 were not iridescent ? We see, here, the force of the principle — 

 a little goes a very long way. For converse examples we may 

 turn to Trogons and many other birds. There was no Eeeve 

 present during this duel. My principal observation during the 

 earlier part of the time I watched was a repetition of what I 

 have before noted in regard to the sexual perversion, as one calls 

 it — a term which serves to save one the trouble of thinking — of 

 these Buffs, or of certain of them. I need not note again what 

 I have before described, as it was exactly the same thing, and 

 also — which strikes me as interesting — between the same pair of 

 birds. Again, when one pursued another (this is a second ex- 

 ample), and caught hold of him, he seemed to me to be actuated 

 more by concupiscence than pugnacity, if the one, as is probable, 

 did not pass into the other. Of such passages I saw a stronger 

 instance last year. 



April 22nd. — Was down at 4.30 a.m., and put up a flock of 

 birds. As it was nearly dark, however, this did not matter, and 

 they were there again almost directly. This at least applies to 

 the Euffs. It was two hours or thereabouts before the first 

 Eeeve flew in — the first, that is, that I could distinguish. The 

 chief points of interest at this seance, which lasted some four 

 hours, were as follows : — (1) The greater number of the Euffs, 

 amounting, at one time, to twenty-two. (2) The fewness of the 

 Eeeves, who did not, I think, number more than three, or possibly 

 four, at any one time. (3) The earlier seeming-indifference of 

 the Euffs to the presence of the Eeeves, leading one almost to 

 doubt if their being there made any difference. (4) The later 

 effect produced by the presence of either these same, or other, 

 Eeeves — I think the same — the excitement due to it becoming 

 more and more marked, till it took its place as the feature of the 



