It must be a grand sight in the forests of India "to come suddenly on twenty or thirty peafowl, the males displaying their gorgeous trains, and strutting about in all the pomp of pride before the gratified females." The wild turkey-c.o.c.k erects his glittering plumage, expands his finely-zoned tail and barred wing-feathers, and altogether, with his gorged crimson and blue wattles, makes a superb, though, to our eyes, grotesque appearance. Similar facts have already been given with respect to grouse of various kinds. Turning to another Order. The male _Rupicola crocea_ (fig. 50) is one of the most beautiful birds in the world, being of a splendid orange, with some of the feathers curiously truncated and plumose. The female is brownish-green, shaded with red, and has a much smaller crest. Sir R. Schomburgk has described their courtship; he found one of their meeting-places where ten males and two females were present. The s.p.a.ce was from four to five feet in diameter, and appeared to have been cleared of every blade of gra.s.s and smoothed as if by human hands. A male "was capering to the apparent delight of several others.

Now spreading its wings, throwing up its head, or opening its tail like a fan; now strutting about with a hopping gait until tired, when it gabbled some kind of note, and was relieved by another. Thus three of them successively took the field, and then, with self-approbation, withdrew to rest." The Indians, in order to obtain their skins, wait at one of the meeting-places till the birds are eagerly engaged in dancing, and then are able to kill, with their poisoned arrows, four or five males, one after the other.[140] With Birds of Paradise a dozen or more full-plumaged males congregate in a tree to hold a dancing-party, as it is called by the natives; and here flying about, raising their wings, elevating their exquisite plumes, and making them vibrate, the whole tree seems, as Mr. Wallace remarks, to be filled with waving plumes.

When thus engaged, they become so absorbed that a skilful archer may shoot nearly the whole party. These birds, when kept in confinement in the Malay Archipelago, are said to take much care in keeping their feathers clean; often spreading them out, examining them, and removing every speck of dirt. One observer, who kept several pairs alive, did not doubt that the display of the male was intended to please the female.[141]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 50. Rupicola crocea, male (from Brehm).]

The gold pheasant (_Thaumalea picta_) during his courtship not only expands and raises his splendid frill, but turns it, as I have myself seen, obliquely towards the female on whichever side she may be standing, obviously in order that a large surface may be displayed before her.[142] Mr. Bartlett has observed a male Polyplectron (fig. 51) in the act of courtship, and has shewn me a specimen stuffed in the att.i.tude then a.s.sumed. The tail and wing-feathers of this bird are ornamented with beautiful ocelli, like those on the peac.o.c.k's train. Now when the peac.o.c.k displays himself, he expands and erects his tail transversely to his body, for he stands in front of the female, and has to shew off, at the same time, his rich blue throat and breast. But the breast of the Polyplectron is obscurely coloured, and the ocelli are not confined to the tail-feathers. Consequently the Polyplectron does not stand in front of the female; but he erects and expands his tail-feathers a little obliquely, lowering the expanded wing on the same side, and raising that on the opposite side. In this att.i.tude the ocelli over the whole body are exposed before the eyes of the admiring female in one grand bespangled expanse. To whichever side she may turn, the expanded wings and the obliquely-held tail are turned towards her.

The male Tragopan pheasant acts in nearly the same manner, for he raises the feathers of the body, though not the wing itself, on the side which is opposite to the female, and which would otherwise be concealed, so that nearly all the beautifully-spotted feathers are exhibited at the same time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 51. Polyplectron chinquis, male (from Brehm)]

The case of the Argus pheasant is still more striking. The immensely developed secondary wing-feathers, which are confined to the male, are ornamented with a row of from twenty to twenty-three ocelli, each above an inch in diameter. The feathers are also elegantly marked with oblique dark stripes and rows of spots, like those on the skin of a tiger and leopard combined. The ocelli are so beautifully shaded that, as the Duke of Argyll remarks,[143] they stand out like a ball lying loosely within a socket. But when I looked at the specimen in the British Museum, which is mounted with the wings expanded and trailing downwards, I was greatly disappointed, for the ocelli appeared flat or even concave. Mr. Gould, however, soon made the case clear to me, for he had made a drawing of a male whilst he was displaying himself. At such times the long secondary feathers in both wings are vertically erected and expanded; and these, together with the enormously elongated tail-feathers, make a grand semicircular upright fan. Now as soon as the wing-feathers are held in this position, and the light shines on them from above, the full effect of the shading comes out, and each ocellus at once resembles the ornament called a ball and socket. These feathers have been shewn to several artists, and all have expressed their admiration at the perfect shading.

It may well be asked, could such artistically-shaded ornaments have been formed by means of s.e.xual selection? But it will be convenient to defer giving an answer to this question until we treat in the next chapter of the principle of gradation.

The primary wing-feathers, which in most gallinaceous birds are uniformly coloured, are in the Argus pheasant not less wonderful objects than the secondary wing-feathers. They are of a soft brown tint with numerous dark spots, each of which consists of two or three black dots with a surrounding dark zone. But the chief ornament is a s.p.a.ce parallel to the dark-blue shaft, which in outline forms a perfect second feather lying within the true feather. This inner part is coloured of a lighter chesnut, and is thickly dotted with minute white points. I have shewn this feather to several persons, and many have admired it even more than the ball-and-socket feathers, and have declared that it was more like a work of art than of nature. Now these feathers are quite hidden on all ordinary occasions, but are fully displayed when the long secondary feathers are erected, though in a widely different manner; for they are expanded in front like two little fans or shields, one on each side of the breast near the ground.

The case of the male Argus pheasant is eminently interesting, because it affords good evidence that the most refined beauty may serve as a charm for the female, and for no other purpose. We must conclude that this is the case, as the primary wing-feathers are never displayed, and the ball-and-socket ornaments are not exhibited in full perfection, except when the male a.s.sumes the att.i.tude of courtship. The Argus pheasant does not possess brilliant colours, so that his success in courtship appears to have depended on the great size of his plumes, and on the elaboration of the most elegant patterns. Many will declare that it is utterly incredible that a female bird should be able to appreciate fine shading and exquisite patterns. It is undoubtedly a marvellous fact that she should possess this almost human degree of taste, though perhaps she admires the general effect rather than each separate detail. He who thinks that he can safely gauge the discrimination and taste of the lower animals, may deny that the female Argus pheasant can appreciate such refined beauty; but he will then be compelled to admit that the extraordinary att.i.tudes a.s.sumed by the male during the act of courtship, by which the wonderful beauty of his plumage is fully displayed, are purposeless; and this is a conclusion which I for one will never admit.

Although so many pheasants and allied gallinaceous birds carefully display their beautiful plumage before the females, it is remarkable, as Mr. Bartlett informs me, that this is not the case with the dull-coloured Eared and Cheer pheasants (_Crossoptilon auritum_ and _Phasia.n.u.s Wallichii_); so that these birds seem conscious that they have little beauty to display. Mr. Bartlett has never seen the males of either of these species fighting together, though he has not had such good opportunities for observing the Cheer as the Eared pheasant. Mr.

Jenner Weir, also, finds that all male birds with rich or strongly-characterised plumage are more quarrelsome than the dull-coloured species belonging to the same groups. The goldfinch, for instance, is far more pugnacious than the linnet, and the blackbird than the thrush. Those birds which undergo a seasonal change of plumage likewise become much more pugnacious at the period when they are most gaily ornamented. No doubt the males of some obscurely-coloured birds fight desperately together, but it appears that when s.e.xual selection has been highly influential, and has given bright colours to the males of any species, it has also very often given a strong tendency to pugnacity. We shall meet with nearly a.n.a.logous cases when we treat of mammals. On the other hand, with birds the power of song and brilliant colours have rarely been both acquired by the males of the same species; but in this case, the advantage gained would have been identically the same, namely success in charming the female. Nevertheless it must be owned that the males of several brilliantly-coloured birds have had their feathers specially modified for the sake of producing instrumental music, though the beauty of this cannot be compared, at least according to our taste, with that of the vocal music of many songsters.

We will now turn to male birds which are not ornamented in any very high degree, but which nevertheless display, during their courtship, whatever attractions they may possess. These cases are in some respects more curious than the foregoing, and have been but little noticed. I owe the following facts, selected from a large body of valuable notes, sent to me by Mr. Jenner Weir, who has long kept birds of many kinds, including all the British Fringillidae and Emberizidae. The bullfinch makes his advances in front of the female, and then puffs out his breast, so that many more of the crimson feathers are seen at once than otherwise would be the case. At the same time he twists and bows his black tail from side to side in a ludicrous manner. The male chaffinch also stands in front of the female, thus shewing his red breast, and "blue bell," as the fanciers call his head; the wings at the same time being slightly expanded, with the pure white bands on the shoulders thus rendered conspicuous. The common linnet distends his rosy breast, slightly expands his brown wings and tail, so as to make the best of them by exhibiting their white edgings. We must, however, be cautious in concluding that the wings are spread out solely for display, as some birds act thus whose wings are not beautiful. This is the case with the domestic c.o.c.k, but it is always the wing on the side opposite to the female which is expanded, and at the same time sc.r.a.ped on the ground.

The male goldfinch behaves differently from all other finches: his wings are beautiful, the shoulders being black, with the dark-tipped wing-feathers spotted with white and edged with golden yellow. When he courts the female, he sways his body from side to side, and quickly turns his slightly expanded wings first to one side then to the other, with a golden flashing effect. No other British finch, as Mr. Weir informs me, turns during his courtship from side to side in this manner; not even the closely-allied male siskin, for he would not thus add to his beauty.

Most of the British Buntings are plain-coloured birds; but in the spring the feathers on the head of the male reed-bunting (_Emberiza schniculus_) acquire a fine black colour by the abrasion of the dusky tips; and these are erected during the act of courtship. Mr. Weir has kept two species of Amadina from Australia: the _A. castanotis_ is a very small and chastely-coloured finch, with a dark tail, white rump, and jet-black upper tail-coverts, each of the latter being marked with three large conspicuous oval spots of white.[144] This species, when courting the female, slightly spreads out and vibrates these parti-coloured tail-coverts in a very peculiar manner. The male _Amadina Lathami_ behaves very differently, exhibiting before the female his brilliantly-spotted breast and scarlet rump and scarlet upper tail-coverts. I may here add from Dr. Jerdon, that the Indian Bulbul (_Pycnonotus haemorrhous_) has crimson _under_ tail-coverts, and the beauty of these feathers, it might be thought, could never be well exhibited; but the bird "when excited often spreads them out laterally, so that they can be seen even from above."[145] The common pigeon has iridescent feathers on the breast, and every one must have seen how the male inflates his breast whilst courting the female, thus showing off these feathers to the best advantage. One of the beautiful bronze-winged pigeons of Australia (_Ocyphaps lophotes_) behaves, as described to me by Mr. Weir, very differently: the male, whilst standing before the female, lowers his head almost to the ground, spreads out and raises perpendicularly his tail, and half expands his wings. He then alternately and slowly raises and depresses his body, so that the iridescent metallic feathers are all seen at once, and glitter in the sun.

Sufficient facts have now been given to shew with what care male birds display their various charms, and this they do with the utmost skill.

Whilst preening their feathers, they have frequent opportunities for admiring themselves and of studying how best to exhibit their beauty.

But as all the males of the same species display themselves in exactly the same manner, it appears that actions, at first perhaps intentional, have become instinctive. If so, we ought not to accuse birds of conscious vanity; yet when we see a peac.o.c.k strutting about, with expanded and quivering tail-feathers, he seems the very emblem of pride and vanity.

The various ornaments possessed by the males are certainly of the highest importance to them, for they have been acquired in some cases at the expense of greatly impeded powers of flight or of running. The African nightjar (_Cosmetornis_), which during the pairing-season has one of its primary wing-feathers developed into a streamer of extreme length, is thus much r.e.t.a.r.ded in its flight, although at other times remarkable for its swiftness. The "unwieldy size" of the secondary wing-feathers of the male Argus pheasant are said "almost entirely to deprive the bird of flight." The fine plumes of male Birds of Paradise trouble them during a high wind. The extremely long tail-feathers of the male widow-birds (Vidua) of Southern Africa render "their flight heavy;"

but as soon as these are cast off they fly as well as the females. As birds always breed when food is abundant, the males probably do not suffer much inconvenience in searching for food from their impeded powers of movement; but there can hardly be a doubt that they must be much more liable to be struck down by birds of prey. Nor can we doubt that the long train of the peac.o.c.k and the long tail and wing-feathers of the Argus pheasant must render them a more easy prey to any prowling tiger-cat than would otherwise be the case. Even the bright colours of many male birds cannot fail to make them conspicuous to their enemies of all kinds. Hence it probably is, as Mr. Gould has remarked, that such birds are generally of a shy disposition, as if conscious that their beauty was a source of danger, and are much more difficult to discover or approach, than the sombre-coloured and comparatively tame females, or than the young and as yet unadorned males.[146]

It is a more curious fact that the males of some birds which are provided with special weapons for battle, and which in a state of nature are so pugnacious that they often kill each other, suffer from possessing certain ornaments. c.o.c.k-fighters trim the hackles and cut off the comb and gills of their c.o.c.ks; and the birds are then said to be dubbed. An undubbed bird, as Mr. Tegetmeier insists, "is at a fearful disadvantage: the comb and gills offer an easy hold to his adversary's beak, and as a c.o.c.k always strikes where he holds, when once he has seized his foe, he has him entirely in his power. Even supposing that the bird is not killed, the loss of blood suffered by an undubbed c.o.c.k is much greater than that sustained by one that has been trimmed."[147]

Young turkey-c.o.c.ks in fighting always seize hold of each other's wattles; and I presume that the old birds fight in the same manner. It may perhaps be objected that the comb and wattles are not ornamental, and cannot be of service to the birds in this way; but even to our eyes, the beauty of the glossy black Spanish c.o.c.k is much enhanced by his white face and crimson comb; and no one who has ever seen the splendid blue wattles of the male Tragopan pheasant, when distended during the act of courtship, can for a moment doubt that beauty is the object gained. From the foregoing facts we clearly see that the plumes and other ornaments of the male must be of the highest importance to him; and we further see that beauty in some cases is even more important than success in battle.

CHAPTER XIV.

BIRDS-_continued_.

Choice exerted by the female-Length of courtship-Unpaired birds-Mental qualities and taste for the beautiful-Preference or antipathy shewn by the female for particular males-Variability of birds-Variations sometimes abrupt-Laws of variation-Formation of ocelli-Gradations of character-Case of Peac.o.c.k, Argus pheasant, and Urosticte.

When the s.e.xes differ in beauty, in the power of singing, or in producing what I have called instrumental music, it is almost invariably the male which excels the female. These qualities, as we have just seen, are evidently of high importance to the male. When they are gained for only a part of the year, this is always shortly before the breeding-season. It is the male alone who elaborately displays his varied attractions, and often performs strange antics on the ground or in the air, in the presence of the female. Each male drives away or, if he can, kills all his rivals. Hence we may conclude, that it is the object of the male to induce the female to pair with him, and for this purpose he tries to excite or charm her in various ways; and this is the opinion of all those who have carefully studied the habits of living birds. But there remains a question which has an all important bearing on s.e.xual selection, namely, does every male of the same species equally excite and attract the female? or does she exert a choice, and prefer certain males? This question can be answered in the affirmative by much direct and indirect evidence. It is much more difficult to decide what qualities determine the choice of the females; but here again we have some direct and indirect evidence that it is to a large extent the external attractions of the male, though no doubt his vigour, courage, and other mental qualities come into play. We will begin with the indirect evidence.

_Length of Courtship._-The lengthened period during which both s.e.xes of certain birds meet day after day at an appointed place, probably depends partly on the courtship being a prolonged affair, and partly on the reiteration of the act of pairing. Thus in Germany and Scandinavia the balzens or leks of the Black-c.o.c.ks, last from the middle of March, all through April into May. As many as forty or fifty, or even more birds congregate at the leks; and the same place is often frequented during successive years. The lek of the Capercailzie lasts from the end of March to the middle or even end of May. In North America "the partridge dances" of the _Tetrao phasianellus_ "last for a month or more." Other kinds of grouse both in North America and Eastern Siberia[148] follow nearly the same habits. The fowlers discover the hillocks where the Ruffs congregate by the gra.s.s being trampled bare, and this shews that the same spot is long frequented. The Indians of Guiana are well acquainted with the cleared arenas, where they expect to find the beautiful c.o.c.ks of the Rock; and the natives of New Guinea know the trees where from ten to twenty full-plumaged male Birds of Paradise congregate. In this latter case it is not expressly stated that the females meet on the same trees, but the hunters, if not specially asked, would not probably mention their presence, as their skins are valueless. Small parties of an African weaver (_Ploceus_) congregate, during the breeding-season, and perform for hours their graceful evolutions. Large numbers of the Solitary snipe (_Scolopax major_) a.s.semble during the dusk in a mora.s.s; and the same place is frequented for the same purpose during successive years; here they may be seen running about "like so many large rats," puffing out their feathers, flapping their wings, and uttering the strangest cries.[149]

Some of the above-mentioned birds, namely, the black-c.o.c.k, capercailzie, pheasant-grouse, the ruff, the Solitary snipe, and perhaps some others, are, as it is believed, polygamists. With such birds it might have been thought that the stronger males would simply have driven away the weaker, and then at once have taken possession of as many females as possible; but if it be indispensable for the male to excite or please the female, we can understand the length of the courtship and the congregation of so many individuals of both s.e.xes at the same spot.

Certain species which are strictly monogamous likewise hold nuptial a.s.semblages; this seems to be the case in Scandinavia with one of the ptarmigans, and their leks last from the middle of March to the middle of May. In Australia the lyre-bird or _Menura superba_ forms "small round hillocks," and the _M. Alberti_ scratches for itself shallow holes, or, as they are called by the natives, _corroborying places_, where it is believed both s.e.xes a.s.semble. The meetings of the _M.

superba_ are sometimes very large; and an account has lately been published[150] by a traveller, who heard in a valley beneath him, thickly covered with scrub, "a din which completely astonished" him; on crawling onwards he beheld to his amazement about one hundred and fifty of the magnificent lyre-c.o.c.ks, "ranged in order of battle, and fighting with indescribable fury." The bowers of the Bower-birds are the resort of both s.e.xes during the breeding-season; and "here the males meet and contend with each other for the favours of the female, and here the latter a.s.semble and coquet with the males." With two of the genera, the same bower is resorted to during many years.[151]

The common magpie (_Corvus pica_, Linn.), as I have been informed by the Rev. W. Darwin Fox, used to a.s.semble from all parts of Delamere Forest, in order to celebrate the "great magpie marriage." Some years ago these birds abounded in extraordinary numbers, so that a gamekeeper killed in one morning nineteen males, and another killed by a single shot seven birds at roost together. Whilst they were so numerous, they had the habit very early in the spring of a.s.sembling at particular spots, where they could be seen in flocks, chattering, sometimes fighting, bustling and flying about the trees. The whole affair was evidently considered by the birds as of the highest importance. Shortly after the meeting they all separated, and were then observed by Mr. Fox and others to be paired for the season. In any district in which a species does not exist in large numbers, great a.s.semblages cannot, of course, be held, and the same species may have different habits in different countries. For instance, I have never met with any account of regular a.s.semblages of black game in Scotland, yet these a.s.semblages are so well known in Germany and Scandinavia that they have special names.

_Unpaired Birds._-From the facts now given, we may conclude that with birds belonging to widely-different groups their courtship is often a prolonged, delicate, and troublesome affair. There is even reason to suspect, improbable as this will at first appear, that some males and females of the same species, inhabiting the same district, do not always please each other and in consequence do not pair. Many accounts have been published of either the male or female of a pair having been shot, and quickly replaced by another. This has been observed more frequently with the magpie than with any other bird, owing perhaps to its conspicuous appearance and nest. The ill.u.s.trious Jenner states that in Wiltshire one of a pair was daily shot no less than seven times successively, "but all to no purpose, for the remaining magpie soon found another mate;" and the last pair reared their young. A new partner is generally found on the succeeding day; but Mr. Thompson gives the case of one being replaced on the evening of the same day. Even after the eggs are hatched, if one of the old birds is destroyed a mate will often be found; this occurred after an interval of two days, in a case recently observed by one of Sir J. Lubbock's keepers.[152] The first and most obvious conjecture is that male magpies must be much more numerous than the females; and that in the above cases, as well in many others which could be given, the males alone had been killed. This apparently holds good in some instances, for the gamekeepers in Delamere Forest a.s.sured Mr. Fox that the magpies and carrion-crows which they formerly killed in succession in large numbers near their nests were all males; and they accounted for this fact by the males being easily killed whilst bringing food to the sitting females. Macgillivray, however, gives, on the authority of an excellent observer, an instance of three magpies successively killed on the same nest which were all females; and another case of six magpies successively killed whilst sitting on the same eggs, which renders it probable that most of them were females, though the male will sit on the eggs, as I hear from Mr. Fox, when the female is killed.

Sir J. Lubbock's gamekeeper has repeatedly shot, but how many times he could not say, one of a pair of jays (_Garrulus glandarius_), and has never failed shortly afterwards to find the survivor rematched. The Rev.

W. D. Fox, Mr. F. Bond, and others, have shot one of a pair of carrion-crows (_Corvus corone_), but the nest was soon again tenanted by a pair. These birds are rather common; but the peregrine falcon (_Falco peregrinus_) is rare, yet Mr. Thompson states that in Ireland "if either an old male or female be killed in the breeding-season (not an uncommon circ.u.mstance), another mate is found within a very few days, so that the eyries, notwithstanding such casualties, are sure to turn out their complement of young." Mr. Jenner Weir has known the same thing to occur with the peregrine falcons at Beachy Head. The same observer informs me that three kestrels, all males (_Falco tinnunculus_), were killed one after the other whilst attending the same nest; two of these were in mature plumage, and the third in the plumage of the previous year. Even with the rare golden eagle (_Aquila chrysaetos_), Mr. Birkbeck was a.s.sured by a trustworthy gamekeeper in Scotland, that if one is killed, another is soon found. So with the white owl (_Strix flammea_), it has been observed that "the survivor readily found a mate, and the mischief went on."

White of Selborne, who gives the case of the owl, adds that he knew a man, who from believing that partridges when paired were disturbed by the males fighting, used to shoot them; and though he had widowed the same female several times she was always soon provided with a fresh partner. This same naturalist ordered the sparrows, which deprived the house-martins of their nests, to be shot: but the one which was left, "be it c.o.c.k or hen, presently procured a mate, and so for several times following." I could add a.n.a.logous cases relating to the chaffinch, nightingale, and redstart. With respect to the latter bird (_Phnicura ruticilla_), the writer remarks that it was by no means common in the neighbourhood, and he expresses much surprise how the sitting female could so soon give effectual notice that she was a widow.

Mr. Jenner Weir has mentioned to me a nearly similar case: at Blackheath he never sees or hears the note of the wild bullfinch, yet when one of his caged males has died, a wild one in the course of a few days has generally come and perched near the widowed female, whose call-note is far from loud. I will give only one other fact, on the authority of this same observer; one of a pair of starlings (_Sturnus vulgaris_) was shot in the morning; by noon a new mate was found; this was again shot, but before night the pair was complete; so that the disconsolate widow or 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 females, but in what proportion he could not say: nevertheless after all this destruction, a brood was reared.[153]

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 s.e.x, 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, parrots, 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 believe that female birds during the breeding-season are especially liable to premature death. Again, birds which have had their nests destroyed, or barren pairs, or r.e.t.a.r.ded individuals, would easily be induced to desert their mates, and would probably be glad to take what share they could of the pleasures and duties of rearing offspring, although not their own.[154]

Such contingencies as these probably explain most of the foregoing cases.[155] Nevertheless it is a strange fact that within the same district, during the height of the breeding-season, there should be so many males and females always ready to repair the loss of a mated bird.

Why do not such spare birds immediately pair together? Have we not some reason to suspect, and the suspicion has occurred to Mr. Jenner Weir, that inasmuch as the act of courtship appears to be with many birds a prolonged and tedious affair, so it occasionally happens that certain males and females do not succeed during the proper season, in exciting each other's love, and consequently do not pair? This suspicion will appear somewhat less improbable after we have seen what strong antipathies and preferences female birds occasionally evince towards particular males.

_Mental Qualities of Birds, and their taste for the beautiful._-Before we discuss any further the question whether the females select the more attractive males or accept the first whom they may encounter, it will be advisable briefly to consider the mental powers of birds. Their reason is generally, and perhaps justly, ranked as low; yet some facts could be given[156] leading to an opposite conclusion. Low powers of reasoning, however, are compatible, as we see with mankind, with strong affections, acute perception, and a taste for the beautiful; and it is with these latter qualities that we are here concerned. It has often been said that parrots become so deeply attached to each other that when one dies the other for a long time pines; but Mr. Jenner Weir thinks that with most birds the strength of their affection has been much exaggerated.

Nevertheless when one of a pair in a state of nature has been shot, the survivor has been heard for days afterwards uttering a plaintive call; and Mr. St. John gives[157] various facts proving the attachment of mated birds. Starlings, however, as we have seen, may be consoled thrice in the same day for the loss of their mates. In the Zoological Gardens parrots have clearly recognised their former masters after an interval of some months. Pigeons have such excellent local memories that they have been known to return to their former homes after an interval of nine months, yet, as I hear from Mr. Harrison Weir, if a pair which would naturally remain mated for life be separated for a few weeks during the winter and matched with other birds, the two, when brought together again, rarely, if ever, recognise each other.

Birds sometimes exhibit benevolent feelings; they will feed the deserted young even of distinct species, but this perhaps ought to be considered as a mistaken instinct. They will also feed, as shewn in an earlier part of this work, adult birds of their own species which have become blind.

Mr. Buxton gives a curious account of a parrot which took care of a frost-bitten and crippled bird of a distinct species, cleansed her feathers and defended her from the attacks of the other parrots which roamed freely about his garden. It is a still more curious fact that these birds apparently evince some sympathy for the pleasures of their fellows. When a pair of c.o.c.katoos made a nest in an acacia tree, "it was ridiculous to see the extravagant interest taken in the matter by the others of the same species." These parrots, also, evinced unbounded curiosity, and clearly had "the idea of property and possession."[158]

Birds possess acute powers of observation. Every mated bird, of course, recognises its fellow. Audubon states that with the mocking-thrushes of the United States (_Mimus polyglottus_) a certain number remain all the year round in Louisiana, whilst the others migrate to the Eastern States; these latter, on their return, are instantly recognised, and always attacked, by their Southern brethren. Birds under confinement distinguish different persons, as is proved by the strong and permanent antipathy or affection which they shew, without any apparent cause, towards certain individuals. I have heard of numerous instances with jays, partridges, canaries, and especially bullfinches. Mr. Hussey has described in how extraordinary a manner a tamed partridge recognised everybody; and its likes and dislikes were very strong. This bird seemed "fond of gay colours, and no new gown or cap could be put on without catching his attention."[159] Mr. Hewitt has carefully described the habits of some ducks (recently descended from wild birds), which, at the approach of a strange dog or cat, would rush headlong into the water, and exhaust themselves in their attempts to escape; but they knew so well Mr. Hewitt's own dogs and cats that they would lie down and bask in the sun close to them. They always moved away from a strange man, and so they would from the lady who attended them, if she made any great change in her dress. Audubon relates that he reared and tamed a wild turkey which always ran away from any strange dog; this bird escaped into the woods, and some days afterwards Audubon saw, as he thought, a wild turkey, and made his dog chase it; but to his astonishment, the bird did not run away, and the dog, when he came up, did not attack the bird, for they mutually recognised each other as old friends.[160]

Mr. Jenner Weir is convinced that birds pay particular attention to the colours of other birds, sometimes out of jealousy, and sometimes as a sign of kinship. Thus he turned a reed-bunting (_Emberiza schniculus_), which had acquired its black head, into his aviary, and the new-comer was not noticed by any bird, except by a bullfinch, which is likewise black-headed. This bullfinch was a very quiet bird, and had never before quarrelled with any of its comrades, including another reed-bunting, which had not as yet become black-headed: but the reed-bunting with a black head was so unmercifully treated, that it had to be removed. Mr. Weir was also obliged to turn out a robin, as it fiercely attacked all birds with any red in their plumage, but no other kinds; it actually killed a red-breasted crossbill, and nearly killed a goldfinch. On the other hand, he has observed that some birds, when first introduced into his aviary, fly towards the species which resemble them most in colour, and settle by their sides.

As male birds display with so much care their fine plumage and other ornaments in the presence of the females, it is obviously probable that these appreciate the beauty of their suitors. It is, however, difficult to obtain direct evidence of their capacity to appreciate beauty. When birds gaze at themselves in a looking-gla.s.s (of which many instances have been recorded) we cannot feel sure that it is not from jealousy at a supposed rival, though this is not the conclusion of some observers.

In other cases it is difficult to distinguish between mere curiosity and admiration. It is perhaps the former feeling which, as stated by Lord Lilford,[161] attracts the Ruff strongly towards any bright object, so that, in the Ionian Islands, it "will dart down to a bright-coloured handkerchief, regardless of repeated shots." The common lark is drawn down from the sky, and is caught in large numbers, by a small mirror made to move and glitter in the sun. Is it admiration or curiosity which leads the magpie, raven, and some other birds to steal and secrete bright objects, such as silver articles or jewels?

Mr. Gould states that certain humming-birds decorate the outside of their nests, "with the utmost taste; they instinctively fasten thereon beautiful pieces of flat lichen, the larger pieces in the middle, and the smaller on the part attached to the branch. Now and then a pretty feather is intertwined or fastened to the outer sides, the stem being always so placed, that the feather stands out beyond the surface." The best evidence, however, of a taste for the beautiful is afforded by the three genera of Australian bower-birds already mentioned. Their bowers (see fig. 46, p. 70), where the s.e.xes congregate and play strange antics, are differently constructed, but what most concerns us is, that they are decorated in a different manner by the several species. The Satin bower-bird collects gaily-coloured articles, such as the blue tail-feathers of parrakeets, bleached bones and sh.e.l.ls, which it sticks between the twigs, or arranges at the entrance. Mr. Gould found in one bower a neatly-worked stone tomahawk and a slip of blue cotton, evidently procured from a native encampment. These objects are continually rearranged, and carried about by the birds whilst at play.

The bower of the Spotted bower-bird "is beautifully lined with tall gra.s.ses, so disposed that the heads nearly meet, and the decorations are very profuse." Round stones are used to keep the gra.s.s-stems in their proper places, and to make divergent paths leading to the bower. The stones and sh.e.l.ls are often brought from a great distance. The Regent bird, as described by Mr. Ramsay, ornaments its short bower with bleached land-sh.e.l.ls belonging to five or six species, and with "berries of various colours, blue, red, and black, which give it when fresh a very pretty appearance. Besides these there were several newly-picked leaves and young shoots of a pinkish colour, the whole shewing a decided taste for the beautiful." Well may Mr. Gould say "these highly decorated halls of a.s.sembly must be regarded as the most wonderful instances of bird-architecture yet discovered;" and the taste, as we see, of the several species certainly differs.[162]

_Preference for particular Males by the Females._-Having made these preliminary remarks on the discrimination and taste of birds, I will give all the facts known to me, which bear on the preference shewn by the female for particular males. It is certain that distinct species of birds occasionally pair in a state of nature and produce hybrids. Many instances could be given: thus Macgillivray relates how a male blackbird and female thrush "fell in love with each other," and produced offspring.[163] Several years ago eighteen cases had been recorded of the occurrence in Great Britain of hybrids between the black grouse and pheasant;[164] but most of these cases may perhaps be accounted for by solitary birds not finding one of their own species to pair with. With other birds, as Mr. Jenner Weir has reason to believe, hybrids are sometimes the result of the casual intercourse of birds building in close proximity. But these remarks do not apply to the many recorded instances of tamed or domestic birds, belonging to distinct species, which have become absolutely fascinated with each other, although living with their own species. Thus Waterton[165] states that out of a flock of twenty-three Canada geese, a female paired with a solitary Bernicle gander, although so different in appearance and size; and they produced hybrid offspring. A male Wigeon (_Mareca penelope_), living with females of the same species, has been known to pair with a Pintail duck, _Querquedula acuta_. Lloyd describes the remarkable attachment between a shield-drake (_Tadorna vulpanser_) and a common duck. Many additional instances could be given; and the Rev. E. S. Dixon remarks that "Those who have kept many different species of geese together, well know what unaccountable attachments they are frequently forming, and that they are quite as likely to pair and rear young with individuals of a race (species) apparently the most alien to themselves, as with their own stock."

The Rev. W. D. Fox informs me that he possessed at the same time a pair of Chinese geese (_Anser cygnoides_), and a common gander with three geese. The two lots kept quite separate, until the Chinese gander seduced one of the common geese to live with him. Moreover, of the young birds hatched from the eggs of the common geese, only four were pure, the other eighteen proving hybrids; so that the Chinese gander seems to have had prepotent charms over the common gander. I will give only one other case; Mr. Hewitt states that a wild duck, reared in captivity, "after breeding a couple of seasons with her own mallard, at once shook him off on my placing a male Pintail on the water. It was evidently a case of love at first sight, for she swam about the new-comer caressingly, though he appeared evidently alarmed and averse to her overtures of affection. From that hour she forgot her old partner.

Winter pa.s.sed by, and the next spring the Pintail seemed to have become a convert to her blandishments, for they nested and produced seven or eight young ones."

What the charm may have been in these several cases, beyond mere novelty, we cannot even conjecture. Colour, however, sometimes comes into play; for in order to raise hybrids from the siskin (_Fringilla spinus_) and the canary, it is much the best plan, according to Bechstein, to place birds of the same tint together. Mr. Jenner Weir turned a female canary into his aviary, where there were male linnets, goldfinches, siskins, greenfinches, chaffinches, and other birds, in order to see which she would choose; but there never was any doubt, and the greenfinch carried the day. They paired and produced hybrid offspring.

With the members of the same species the fact of the female preferring to pair with one male rather than with another is not so likely to excite attention, as when this occurs between distinct species. Such cases can best be observed with domesticated or confined birds; but these are often pampered by high feeding, and sometimes have their instincts vitiated to an extreme degree. Of this latter fact I could give sufficient proofs with pigeons, and especially with fowls, but they cannot be here related. Vitiated instincts may also account for some of the hybrid unions above referred to; but in many of these cases the birds were allowed to range freely over large ponds, and there is no reason to suppose that they were unnaturally stimulated by high feeding.

With respect to birds in a state of nature, the first and most obvious supposition which will occur to everyone is that the female at the proper season accepts the first male whom she may encounter; but she has at least the opportunity for exerting a choice, as she is almost invariably pursued by many males. Audubon-and we must remember that he spent a long life in prowling about the forests of the United States and observing the birds-does not doubt that the female deliberately chooses her mate; thus, speaking of a woodp.e.c.k.e.r, he says the hen is followed by half-a-dozen gay suitors, who continue performing strange antics, "until a marked preference is shewn for one." The female of the red-winged starling (_Agelaeus phniceus_) is likewise pursued by several males, "until, becoming fatigued, she alights, receives their addresses, and soon makes a choice." He describes also how several male nightjars repeatedly plunge through the air with astonishing rapidity, suddenly turning, and thus making a singular noise; "but no sooner has the female made her choice, than the other males are driven away." With one of the vultures (_Cathartes aura_) of the United States, parties of eight or ten or more males and females a.s.semble on fallen logs, "exhibiting the strongest desire to please mutually," and after many caresses, each male leads off his partner on the wing. Audubon likewise carefully observed the wild flocks of Canada geese (_Anser Canadensis_), and gives a graphic description of their love-antics; he says that the birds which had been previously mated "renewed their courtship as early as the month of January, while the others would be contending or coquetting for hours every day, until all seemed satisfied with the choice they had made, after which, although they remained together, any person could easily perceive that they were careful to keep in pairs. I have observed also that the older the birds, the shorter were the preliminaries of their courtship. The bachelors and old maids, whether in regret, or not caring to be disturbed by the bustle, quietly moved aside and lay down at some distance from the rest."[166] Many similar statements with respect to other birds could be cited from this same observer.