106 
SEXUAL SELECTION : BIRDS. 
Part IL 
widower was thrice consoled during the same day. Mr. 
Engleheart also informs me that he used during several 
years to shoot one of a pair of starlings which built in a 
hole in a house at Blackheath ; but the loss was always 
immediately repaired. During one season he kept an 
account and found that he had shot thirty-five birds from 
the same nest ; these consisted of both males and fe- 
males, but in what proportion he could not say : never- 
theless after all this destruction, a brood was reared.^ 
These facts are certainly remarkable. How is it that 
so many birds are ready immediately to replace a lost 
mate ? Magpies, jays, carrion-crows, partridges, and 
some other birds, are never seen during the spring by 
themselves, and these offer at first sight the most 
perplexing case. But birds of the same sex, although 
of course not truly paired, sometimes live in pairs or in 
small parties, as is known to be the case with pigeons 
and partridges. Birds also sometimes live in triplets,, 
as has been observed with starlings, carrion-crows, par- 
rots, and partridges. With partridges two females have 
been known to live with one male, and two males with 
one "female. In all such cases it is probable that the 
union would be easily broken. The males of certain 
birds may occasionally be heard pouring forth their 
love-song long after the proper time, shewing that they 
have either lost or never gained a mate. Death from 
accident or disease of either one of a pair, would leave 
the other bird free and single ; and there is reason to 
believ'e that female birds during the breeding-season 
® On the peregrine falcon see Thompson, ‘ Nat. Hist, of Ireland : 
Birds,’ vol. i. 1849, p. 39. On owls, sparrows, and partridges, see White, 
‘ Nat. Hist, of Selhorne,’ edit, of 1825, vol. i. p. 139. On the Phoeni- 
cura, see London’s ‘Mag. of Nat. Hist.’ vol. vii. 1834, p. 245. Brehm, 
(‘ Thierleben,’ B. iv. s. 991) also alludes to cases of birds thrice mated 
during same day. 
