The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex Volume II Part 17

[121] Jardine's 'Naturalist Library: Birds,' vol. xiv. p. 166.

[122] Sclater, in the 'Ibis,' vol. vi. 1864, p. 114.

Livingstone, 'Expedition to the Zambesi,' 1865, p. 66.

[123] Jerdon, 'Birds of India,' vol. iii. p. 620.

[124] Wallace, in 'Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.' vol. xx.

1857, p. 416; and in his 'Malay Archipelago,' vol. ii. 1869, p.

390.

[125] See my work on 'The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication,' vol. i. p. 289, 293.

[126] Quoted from M. de Lafresnaye, in 'Annals and Mag. of Nat.

Hist.' vol. xiii. 1854, p. 157: see also Mr. Wallace's much fuller account in vol. xx. 1857, p. 412, and in his Malay Archipelago.

[127] Wallace, 'The Malay Archipelago,' vol. ii. 1869, p. 405.

[128] Mr. Sclater, 'Intellectual Observer,' Jan. 1867.

'Waterton's Wanderings,' p. 118. See also Mr. Salvin's interesting paper, with a plate, in the 'Ibis,' 1865, p. 90.

[129] 'Land and Water,' 1867, p. 394.

[130] Mr. D. G. Elliot, in 'Proc. Zool. Soc.' 1869, p. 589.

[131] 'Nitzsch's Pterylography,' edited by P. L. Sclater. Ray Soc. 1867, p. 14.

[132] The brown mottled summer plumage of the ptarmigan is of as much importance to it, as a protection, as the white winter plumage; for in Scandinavia, during the spring, when the snow has disappeared, this bird is known to suffer greatly from birds of prey, before it has acquired its summer dress: see Wilhelm von Wright, in Lloyd, 'Game Birds of Sweden,' 1867, p.

125.

[133] In regard to the previous statements on moulting, see, on snipes, &c., Macgillivray, 'Hist. Brit. Birds,' vol. iv. p.

371; on Glareolae, curlews, and bustards, Jerdon, 'Birds of India,' vol. iii. p. 615, 630, 683; on Tota.n.u.s, ibid, p. 700; on the plumes of herons, ibid, p. 738, and Macgillivray, vol.

iv. p. 435 and 444, and Mr. Stafford Allen, in the 'Ibis,' vol.

v. 1863, p. 33.

[134] On the moulting of the ptarmigan, see Gould's 'Birds of Great Britain.' On the honey-suckers, Jerdon, 'Birds of India,'

vol. i. p. 359, 365, 369. On the moulting of Anthus, see Blyth, in 'Ibis,' 1867, p. 32.

[135] For the foregoing statements in regard to partial moults, and on old males retaining their nuptial plumage, see Jerdon, on bustards and plovers, in 'Birds of India,' vol. iii. p. 617, 637, 709, 711. Also Blyth in 'Land and Water,' 1867, p. 84. On the Vidua, 'Ibis,' vol. iii. 1861, p. 133. On the Drongo shrikes, Jerdon, ibid. vol. i. p. 435. On the vernal moult of the _Herodias bubulcus_, Mr. S. S. Allen, in 'Ibis,' 1863, p.

33. On _Gallus bankiva_, Blyth, in 'Annals and Mag. of Nat.

Hist.' vol. i. 1848, p. 455; see, also, on this subject, my 'Variation of Animals under Domestication,' vol. i. p. 236.

[136] See Macgillivray, 'Hist. British Birds' (vol. v. p. 34, 70, and 223), on the moulting of the Anatidae, with quotations from Waterton and Montagu. Also Yarrell, 'Hist. of British Birds,' vol. iii. p. 243.

[137] On the pelican, see Sclater, in 'Proc. Zool. Soc.' 1868, p. 265. On the American finches, see Audubon, 'Ornith.

Biography,' vol. i. p. 174, 221, and Jerdon, 'Birds of India,'

vol. ii. p. 383. On the _Fringilla cannabina_ of Madeira, Mr.

E. Vernon Harcourt, 'Ibis,' vol. v., 1863, p. 230.

[138] See also 'Ornamental Poultry,' by Rev. E. S. Dixon, 1848, p. 8.

[139] 'Birds of India,' introduct. vol. i. p. xxiv.; on the peac.o.c.k, vol. iii. p. 507. See Gould's 'Introduction to the Trochilidae,' 1861, p. 15 and 111.

[140] 'Journal of R. Geograph. Soc.' vol. x. 1840, p. 236.

[141] 'Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.' vol. xiii. 1854, p. 157; also Wallace, ibid. vol. xx. 1857, p. 412, and 'The Malay Archipelago,' vol. ii. 1869, p. 252. Also Dr. Bennett, as quoted by Brehm, 'Thierleben,' B. iii. s. 326.

[142] Mr. T. W. Wood has given ('The Student,' April, 1870, p.

115) a full account of this manner of display, which he calls the lateral or one-sided, by the gold pheasant and by the j.a.panese pheasant, _Ph. versicolor_.

[143] The Reign of Law,' 1867, p. 263.

[144] For the description of these birds, see Gould's 'Handbook to the Birds of Australia,' vol. i. 1865, p. 417.

[145] 'Birds of India,' vol. ii. p. 96.

[146] On the Cosmetornis, see Livingstone's 'Expedition to the Zambesi,' 1865, p. 66. On the Argus pheasant, Jardine's 'Nat.

Hist. Lib.: Birds,' vol. xiv. p. 167. On Birds of Paradise, Lesson, quoted by Brehm, 'Thierleben,' B. iii. s. 325. On the widow-bird, Barrow's 'Travels in Africa,' vol. i. p. 243, and 'Ibis,' vol. iii. 1861, p. 133. Mr. Gould, on the shyness of male birds, 'Handbook to Birds of Australia,' vol. i. 1865, p.

210, 457.

[147] Tegetmeier, 'The Poultry Book,' 1866, p. 139.

[148] Nordmann describes ('Bull. Soc. Imp. des Nat. Moscow,'

1861, tom. x.x.xiv. p. 264) the balzen of _Tetrao urogalloides_ in Amur Land. He estimated the number of a.s.sembled males at above a hundred, the females, which lie hid in the surrounding bushes, not being counted. The noises uttered differ from those of the _T. urogallus_ or the capercailzie.

[149] With respect to the a.s.semblages of the above named grouse see Brehm, 'Thierleben,' B. iv. s. 350; also L. Lloyd, 'Game Birds of Sweden,' 1867, p. 19, 78. Richardson, 'Fauna Bor.

Americana,' Birds, p. 362. References in regard to the a.s.semblages of other birds have previously been given. On Paradisea see Wallace, in 'Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.' vol.

xx. 1857, p. 412. On the snipe, Lloyd, ibid. p. 221.

[150] Quoted by Mr. T. W. Wood in the 'Student,' April, 1870, p. 125.

[151] Gould, 'Handbook of Birds of Australia,' vol. i. p. 300, 308, 448, 451. On the ptarmigan, above alluded to, see Lloyd, ibid. p. 129.

[152] On magpies, Jenner, in 'Phil. Transact.' 1824, p. 21.

Macgillivray, 'Hist. British Birds,' vol. i. p. 570. Thompson, in 'Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.' vol. viii. 1842, p. 494.

[153] On the peregrine falcon see Thompson, 'Nat. Hist. of Ireland: Birds,' vol. i. 1849, p. 39. On owls, sparrows, and partridges, see White, 'Nat. Hist. of Selborne,' edit. of 1825, vol. i. p. 139. On the Phnicura, see Loudon's 'Mag. of Nat.

Hist.' vol. vii. 1834, p. 245. Brehm, ('Thierleben,' B. iv. s.

991) also alludes to cases of birds thrice mated during same day.

[154] See White ('Nat. Hist. of Selborne,' 1825, vol. i. p.

140) on the existence, early in the season, of small coveys of male partridges, of which fact I have heard other instances.

See Jenner, on the r.e.t.a.r.ded state of the generative organs in certain birds, in 'Phil. Transact.' 1824. In regard to birds living in triplets, I owe to Mr. Jenner Weir the cases of the starling and parrots, and to Mr. Fox, of partridges; on carrion-crows, see the 'Field,' 1868, p. 415. On various male birds singing after the proper period, see Rev. L. Jenyns, 'Observations in Natural History,' 1846, p. 87.

[155] The following case has been given ('The Times,' Aug. 6th, 1868) by the Rev. F. O. Morris, on the authority of the Hon.

and Rev. O. W. Forester. "The gamekeeper here found a hawk's nest this year, with five young ones in it. He took four and killed them, but left one with its wings clipped as a decoy to destroy the old ones by. They were both shot next day, in the act of feeding the young one, and the keeper thought it was done with. The next day he came again and found two other charitable hawks, who had come with an adopted feeling to succour the orphan. These two he killed, and then left the nest. On returning afterwards he found two more charitable individuals on the same errand of mercy. One of these he killed; the other he also shot, but could not find. No more came on the like fruitless errand."

[156] For instance, Mr. Yarrell states ('Hist. British Birds,'

vol. iii. 1845, p. 585) that a gull was not able to swallow a small bird which had been given to it. The gull "paused for a moment, and then, as if suddenly recollecting himself, ran off at full speed to a pan of water, shook the bird about in it until well soaked, and immediately gulped it down. Since that time he invariably has had recourse to the same expedient in similar cases."