File:A history of birds (1910) (14749746095).jpg

Identifier: historyofbirds00pycr (find matches)
Title: A history of birds
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Pycraft, W. P. (William Plane), 1868-1942
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Methuen and Co
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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erful collar of black andgold is swung round, sidewards—it is so spread, in fact, as topresent this flaming mass of feathers in its most effectivemanner. And so too with the Ruff. This bird runs up to hismate, and placing himself directly in front of her, lowers hishead till the beak rests upon the ground, then the frill orruff is expanded to the full; and in this position he will remainmotionless for a minute or more, commonly only to find, on look-ing up, that she has moved off to some distant spot, as thoughto show that the display of such charms moved her not at all!Yet, as we shall show, this interpretation is far from correct.The Sun-bittern (Eurypyga) again, under sexual excitement,spreads his wings in front of his body so that they form agreat oval shield encircling his neck, while the tail is similarlyextended, displaying a broad black semicircle behind thewings; and this apparently so as to entrance his mate withthe exquisitely coloured patterns brought out by this strange
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\ SEXUAL SELECTION 345 attitude. No less remarkable arc the contortions of the GreatBustard, or the grotesque attitude assumed by the Turkey-cock and the Amhurst Pheasant. These and other instancesalready quoted in Chapter X seem to indicate a consciousnesson the part of the male of his striking characteristics, and adesire to overcome his mate by the display. It seems reason-able enough to assume that the females are induced thereby topick out the finest and most resplendent performers to matewith. When such displays are made by solitary males, it isinferred that she accepts him only in the event of his pleasingher. In other words, if his display is not sufificiently animated,or his ornamentation is not sufficiently vivid to excite sexualdesire, she rejects or rather ignores him. This being so, thenit would follow that the peculiar characteristics of the maleswould tend, slowly but surely, to gain in intensity. Mr. J. G.Millais, in two remarkable monographs on the British Game-birds

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