DISPLAY BY THE MALE. 
97 
C«. 
At ' xur. 
^tai; 
ha *e b, 
°f tlie highest importance to them, for they 
gtoatl e - 6U ae( l u * re( l i Q some cases at tlie expense of 
4f r - - v ^upeded powers of flight or of running. The 
"ight-jar ( Cosmetornis ), which during the pair- 
l°pe^ a8 ° n ^' as one primary wing-feathers deve- 
^tai- i lnto a streamer of extreme length, is thus much 
ab] e ' ' \ n its flight, although at other times remark- 
Se Co ° r its swiftness. The “ unwieldy size ” of the 
ar e lcar y wing-feathers of the male Argus pheasant 
Xb 6 j!^ <£ almost entirely to deprive the bird of flight.” 
^h'iricy 16 PW of male Birds of Paradise trouble them 
of |] '' a high wind. The extremely long tail-feathers 
6 ' rui lo widow-birds (Yidua) of Southern Africa 
c ast o> ^eir flight heavy ; ” but as soon as these are 
Wed ^ Ue P iiy as well as the females. As birds always 
Dot . ^ e n i' 00 fl i s abundant, the males probably do 
ft 0a a( ' r much inconvenience in searching for food 
11 theii ■ 
h 
■ardi v l 1 r — “■ ■' > — — - — 
to b^ Je a floubt that they must be much more liable 
tL down by birds of prey. Nor can we doubt 
tl] G lonn 
lr impeded powers of movement ; hut, there can 
and 
th, 
Wm 
g train of the peacock and the long tail 
^'feathers of the Argus pheasant must render 
' v o u j ^ a lri °re easy prey to any prowling tiger-cat than 
of ina ri 01 ' lCrw, ' se H ie case. Even the bright colours 
otog s ^ ^ale birds cannot fail to make them conspi- 
h Ug a Iheir enemies of all kinds. Hence it probably 
r ' ^ould has remarked, that such birds are 
^ °* a s l>y disposition, as if conscious that their 
cult t 0 V j as a source of danger, and are much more diffi- 
ls cover or apiproach, than the sombre-coloured 
H 'u] „ 1 P ar atively tame females, or thau the young 
etn 
yet unadorned males.* 
u , Oh +1. 
1865 6 ^ 0srQe tornis, see Livingstone’s 1 Expedition to the Zam- 
^Otj, t ’ t P - the Argus piieasant, Jardine’s 4 Nat. Hist. Lib. : 
