POLYGAMY AND OTHER MODES OF MATING AMONG 

 BIRDS 



R. W. SHUFELDT 



For several years I have devoted much time to a study of the 

 phenomena of sex in vertebrates, comparing those of the lower 

 forms with the features presented by man. IMuch of the matter 

 thus obtained is now in the publisher's hands but some of it is 

 presented here. 



The nature of man, .his customs, habits, and institutions, his 

 mental and physical characteristics cannot be fully and intelli- 

 gently understood unless all of our stock of accumulated facts are 

 studied in the light of w^hat we know to obtain along the corre- 

 sponding lines among all animals below man. That is to say, it 

 IS simply impossible to comprehend the morphology of man, unless 

 our studies of it are made comparative with our knowledge of the 

 anatomy of all other animals. So too with all else manifested 

 on the part of our species;— to get at the origin of all things in 



to trace them dow^n through the x alc <>t' hvinu' forms hdow him. 

 It holds in our researches int.. the >vwurc cf x.ciety, ami it was 

 Letourneau who sai.l "Wlien once i( is estal.hshnl that man is a 

 mammal Wkr any other, ami only .h.tingni.lied from the animals 

 of this class l.y a greater cerebral development, all study of human 

 sociology nnist logically be jH-ecetled by a corresponding stialy 

 of animal sociology. Moreover, as >ociology finally depend^ on 

 biology, it will be necessary to seek in physiological conditions 

 themselves the origin of great sociological manifestations." ' 



