No. 483] 



MA TJXG A MOXG BIRDS 



171 



nogamous, and I believe tlie entire swan, ooose aiul <lnok tribe 

 (Anseriformes) are, — at least in natnre, although there may be 

 exceptions to this that I either do not recall for the moment, or 

 have not come to my notice. When domesticated, however, 

 ducks may become highly polygamous, and it is a well-known 

 fact that in this state it is not difficult to cross various species and 

 rear interesting hybrids. Cases of this character are reported 

 by Darwin, who states with respect to birds that "In several 

 groups I have not been able to discover whether the species are 

 polygamous or monogamous."^ 



"Very peculiar fancies," says Letourneau, "sometimes arise 

 in the brains of certain birds. Thus we see birds of distinct spe- 

 cies pairing, and this even in a wild state. These illegitimate 

 unions have been observed between geese and barnacle geese, 

 and between black grouse and pheasants," and further, when 

 (juoting Hewitt from Darwin as to how a ( i t 11 1 



duck threw over the male of own species and deliberately courted 

 a male pintail that had been placed in tlie water with lier, mated, 

 and would have nothing further to do with the nialhird. he says 

 "that conjugal fidelity docs not always resist a strong;- ini|>res>ion 

 arising from a chance encounter; that novelty has a disturbing 

 effect; and, finally, that inditrerencc and coldness can rarely hold 

 out against the jxTsistcnt ad\anccs of one who loves anlcntly 

 enough not to yield to discouragenicnt. Dante ha- already made 

 this last reflection in his celebrated line - 



'Amor cha iniH' aniato aniar penlona.' 



To (jiiote Dante a pwpn.s of the illicit amours of a j)intail and 

 a wikl duck may shock the learned, but the aptness of the (pL.ta- 



human organisms." ' 



Polygamy is not practiced, so far a-^ 1 am aware, by any of the 

 flamingoes (rha'in'copt<"ri i, or rc[)rc>cniati\c> of ilic crane— fork 

 assemblage (Herodiono or the diurnal Kaptorc- including 

 all the vultures (Ac(i|)itrcs 



'Loc. cit. pp. '219. -J IS. 



