File:Bird-life- a guide to the study of our common birds (1900) (14752520901).jpg

Identifier: cu31924000101992 (find matches)
Title: Bird-life: a guide to the study of our common birds
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Chapman, Frank M. (Frank Michler), 1864-1945 Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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kely toaccept the attentions of a bird pleasing in her eye thanone who was less strikingly adorned; This has beentermed by Lloyd Morgan preferentia,l mating. Wallace has accepted the law of battle as an effectiveagent in producing certain characters, but considers itnatural, ratlier than sexual selection, and he denies theexistence of any important evidence proving female selec-tion. He therefore attril)utes many secondary sexualcharacters to a siirplus of vital energy, which, because ofa birds perfect adaptation to the conditions of its exist-ence, can expend itself in the production of bright colorsand ornamental plumes without injury to their owners.That is to say, Wallace ascribes to the action of naturalselection any secondary sexual character which is of prac-tical use to the male in conflicts with a rival, but deniesthe female any part in the matter of pairing. Darwin,as I have said, attributes to the female an aesthetictaste which renders the brilliant colors or display of the
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Plate XHI. Page 102. MOURNING DOVE. Length, 11-75 inches. Upper parts olive grayish brown, sides and back of neck iridescent; breast with a pinkish tinge, belly buff; outer tail-leathers tipped with white. COLOK AND SEX. 47 male an attractive sight, iiifiueucing her choice of amate. There is thus a practical agreement in the views ofthese naturalists on the origin of those sexual characterswhich may be classed as weapons, and this opinion is, Ibelieve, generally accepted. But the question of femalepreference, and its influence on the development of brightcolors and accessory plumes, still lacks confirmation.Here is an opportunity for every one who can watch wildbirds mating. CHAPTEE IV. THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS.* To the field student the season of migration is themost interesting of the year. The bird-life of a vastarea then passes in review before him. Though livingin a temperate region, he may see birds whose summerhome is within the Arctic Circle, whose winter haunts arein the tropic

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