0. Heinroth—The Pairing Display of BulwePs Pheasant 179


shaped tail-spread of the Fantailed Pigeon. It is also contrary to one’s

conception of anatomy that the front edge of the tail should proceed

along the back as far as behind the head.


The pictures in Beebe’s work give an entirely wrong idea of the colour

of the lobes ; when excited they are, strange to say, sky-blue, without

any intermixture of wine-red colouring, and the upper portions deepen

into a velvety black, in strong contrast with the white palette of the

tail. In this condition the beak is not visible and the blue is only relieved

by the ruby-red of the eye, which is particularly noticeable owing to its

red surround. As a rule, when displaying, the bird struts slowly about

and stands still with a jerk when the hen bird comes close up to him.

It is then that the head lobes attain their maximum inflation.


The following results have been found anatomically: Only the

middle tail feathers have grown into one with the bony pygostyle, the

others being rooted in the strong muscles of the rump, so that during

pairing display they can be pressed sideways and down hard on the

ground. In flight only the inner tail feathers would seem to retain their

roof-shaped position, and the others form a horizontal supporting

surface as in the case of other gallinaceous birds. Stresemann makes

the following observations in this connection: “ The upper tail


coverings quickly diminish outwardly in length, the upper layer of

feathers of the sixth to the third tail feathers (from outside) is concealed

under the . . . feathers of the back and ‘ therefore ’ not altogether white

but of an inconspicuous brown colour. The first and second tail feathers

(from outside) have absolutely no upper layer of feathers belonging to

them. The lower set of tail covering feathers is completely lacking.”


The internal composition of the head lobes was examined by

Ad. Schneider immediately after the death of the cock-bird. Its dilation

during pairing display is caused by the injection of blood and not by

air being pumped in (cf. the work mentioned below).


When frightened, especially when its enclosure is intruded upon,

the cock bird uttered a soft monotonous “ Gack ” ; at the height of the

pairing season it emitted a shrill, piercing cry, but otherwise was silent,

having no call-note or crowing sound.


Beebe gives the weights of dead cock-birds as being from 2f to

3J lb., on an average therefore about 1J kg., corresponding to the weight



