COLOUR AND NIDIFICATION. 
167 
“*U.p 
p - Xv. 
Con? icUoils man ner tlie nest is of such a nature as to 
'"Ofttr ^ le 8 ‘ tt * u o bird J but when there is a marked 
Say 
>) S , 
% 
ast of colour between the sexes, the male being 
the female dull-coloured, the nest is open and 
bird to view. This coincidence. 
f.^ b ' S tlle sittin_ 
tV-jjj . as it goes, certainly supports the belief that the 
H 0(! . f s which sit on open nests have been specially 
Hi], ! <;< 1 for the sake of protection. Mr. Wallace 
$ 0 ^ 8 i'bat there are, as might have been expected, 
'vb et | ex<3e Ptious to his two rules, but it is a question 
to ; ler tbe exceptions are not so numerous as seriously 
Jalidate them. 
of ^ ere is in the first place much truth in the Duke 
0o l)s remark 9 that a large domed nest is more 
0a bhy CtlOUs to aa enemy, especially to all tree-haunting 
t nist 0l '°Us animals, than a smaller open nest. Nor 
U fcsts . " e forget that with many birds which build open 
Hor, llla * cs Sit 0,1 the e SS s all( i in feeding the 
Hn U( 6 as w ell as the females : this is the case, for in- 
V, ls ! with Pyranga eediva , 10 one of the most splendid 
Ul) d tl 111 t ' le United States, the male beiug vermilion, 
c °lon .* e ^ enia ie light brownish-green. Now if brilliant 
sit ti J ^ la d been extremely dangerous to birds whilst 
Si* 0 * their open nests, the males in these cases 
UlVe suffered greatly. It might, however, be of 
V aramou *t importance to the male to be bril- 
1 c °loured, in order to beat his rivals, that this 
° U1( 1 a, - 
0re than compensate for some additional danger. 
Va Uace admits that with the King-crows (Di- 
fltioles, and Pittidie, the females are conspi- 
^tg fcg "I’ c oloured, yet they build open nests ; but he 
ll t the birds of the first group are highly pug- 
8 ‘ J 
ll of Travel,’ edited by A. Murray, vol. i. 18CS, p. 281. 
- ‘ Oruitiiologioal Biography,’ vol. i. p. 233. 
