Loves and Courtships of Birds.

157

of his own species, seems to be influenced just as much as the female by the changes in his constitution at the rutting season. The law is general, at all events as regards the vertebrata, and obviously more or less present in lowlier forms. Again, although the vocal and instrumental music of birds is most likely a production of the noises and cries, from long habit, and the excellence of some species over others, it has become hereditary and inherent, so that the bird has recourse to its song whenever it feels happy and comfortable. But there is no accounting for musical taste in animals, and, if it comes to this, even in man, when we think that the harshest and most unmelodious noises may be the very reverse in the estimation of those they are meant to please.

Now with reference to the state of the generative organs at the breeding season, I have found that, as a general rule, the males of any one species show a regular and proportionate enlargement; but exceptions are not unfrequent, which explains instances of unpaired birds, and what often occurs, viz., that when a female or male of a mated pair is killed, the survivor soon obtains another partner. In the case of the chaffinch, bullfinch, and goldfinch, it is not uncommon to see males and females unpaired at the breeding-time. I can therefore well believe, with Mr. Darwin,* that "certain males and females do not succeed during the proper season in exciting each other's love, and consequently do not pair." This, I could imagine, is very common with old birds, just as I noticed with aged bears on the Himalayas,† and is the case also with the tiger, lion, etc., that when the animal gets on in years it generally leads a life of celibacy, and retires from the society of its species.

Mr. Jenner Weir, ‡ quoted by Darwin, says "he never sees or hears the note of the wild bullfinch; yet when one * "Descent of Man," vol. ii., p. 107.

+ "Wanderings in India," p. 241; and Mr. Rohan, as we shall see in the sequel, observed the same with water birds in the island of Anticosti. "Descent of Man," vol ii., p. 105.

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 don't suppose many amateur bird-catchers have had a more extensive experience in capturing this bird than myself. During my boyish days I was constantly so occupied; and the bullfinch being an especial favourite, I soon became familiar with its habits. As is well known, it seems not unfrequently to pair for life; and not rarely, indeed, a male and female, or two or more of one sex, may be observed continually together.

I have captured them at all seasons, and often taken a male close to his nest by means of a female decoy. The call note is not often heard in the wild state, for the reason that the pair usually keep close together; but when either get separated or a stray bird happens to be calling close by, I have seen a male and female desert their nest to look at the new comer. I do not agree with Mr. Weir that the call-note of the female is "far from loud;" on the contrary, when she chooses to exert her lungs, although not quite so clear as that of the male, her whistle is equally strong. I have, moreover, captured the male siskin by means of another, when the former had its nest and eggs in the neighbouring tree. As regards starlings, sparrows, and the like, which breed in societies, there are, no doubt, numbers of bachelors and old maids who do not pair, or who are late in becoming excited by the sexual passion, and therefore ready to fill up a casualty.

Finally, with reference to the long courtship of the birds of mid-Europe. As we have seen, it contrasts with the short love-making of the migratory species in North-eastern America, and in consequence there might likely be more instances of unmated individuals among the former, for the reason that the passions are gradually developed, whereas in the latter they suddenly spring into full vigour.

Effects of a sudden Thaw on Forest Travelling. 159

CHAPTER VII.

Discomforts of Sleighing during Thaws-Effects of unusually Cold Seasons on Winter Migratory Birds-Winter Breeding Birds-Crossbills and their Varieties of Plumage-Possible Causes of the Crossing of the Mandibles and Bending of the Beaks of certain Birds-Deformed Beaks of Birds--Habits and Modes of Nesting of the White-winged Crossbill-The Pine Bullfinch-Redpoll--Snow Bunting-Snow Bird-Familiarity of Forest-loving Birds-Partridges and their unsuspicious Ways-Partridge Shooting-Dogs trained to Point at Partridges in Trees.

I

WAS in the habit of making regular excursions to the wilderness in early spring, for the purpose of studying the habits and modes of nesting of the earliest breeding birds, such as the crossbills and others. The difficulties, however, of sleighing at this season, especially in the bye-roads and more unfrequented thoroughfares, are occasionally so great that few residents attempt long journeys until the greater portion of the snow has melted. A heavy fall at the beginning of March, 1868, added to what remained, gave an average of five feet, so that a sudden thaw would, as a matter of course, render the roads all but impassable for horses. Unfortunately, when I then started, on the 16th of the month, a south-east wind gave indication of a thaw; hoping, however, that the thermometer would fall at night, I loaded the sleigh, and with a guide set off for the village of Stanley, distant some twentyfive miles. My companion, although experienced in travelling, was as little aware as myself of the difficulties before us. For the first few miles things went on smoothly enough; the pathway had been well beaten by teams, so that horse and sleigh swept along without hindrance. However, the soft

south-easter in our faces getting stronger every hour proclaimed an unusual thaw, and when we got into the less frequented districts, there were indications of impending trouble given by the horse now and then sinking to her knees, and an occasional plunge threatening the safety of the trams; but my companion not showing any symptoms of disquietude, I continued goading on the animal. Indeed, the dogged indifference of friend "Malcolm" was amusing. Like his countrymen, he had imbibed the usual slang expressions of the Yankee, and freely interlarded his conversation with the true nasal "I guess," or the decided negative of "Nū Sūr." His exclamations were invariably "O my!" with which he interrupted every stage of conversational narrative, no matter what might be the nature of the subject. Indeed, by eliminating these repetitions from his sentences, there was little left, and when by dint of hard pressure I could start him on some episode of his forest life, what between these and the countless "says he," "says she," or "says I" interlarding the story, I often thought we should never get to the finale. Then the imperturbable stoicism of the narrator, not a muscle of whose face betrayed the slightest emotion in spite of all these superfluous utterances, not even when rehearsing the history of his amputated finger, which was as follows. "I guess you think this here finger of mine was chopped off by an axe; but no, it was a horse that done it. I was giving him a drink, when he caught my middle finger and carried it right away, and giving it a chew dropped it in the manger. I thought that bad enouf,” added Malcolm, "but not content with nipping off my finger, he gave me a kick behind and sent me flying out of the stable door." Just as the worthy woodsman was about to end his tale, the horse, who had been sinking now and then, gave a sudden stagger, and before she could recover herself went down on all fours up to the belly, and every few minutes subsequently showed that further progress would be tedious, to say the least, on account of the rapidly increasing thaw.

Love-makings of Winter-breeding Birds. 161

By midday we reached a small wayside inn, within about six miles of Stanley village. Here, whilst the horse was being fed and our dinners prepared, I amused myself watching flocks of white-winged crossbills, pine siskins, and red polls crowding on the dung-heaps and around the door, the male birds all in perfect plume, and singing sweetly on the trees around, -the brilliancy of the red of the males of the former contrasting with the white landscape as they coquetted around the females, showing off the white beauty-spots on their wings, which they half expanded as they strutted from side to side, while the pretty little redpolls, with their hoods erect, gamboled in the bright sunshine around their mates, who, like the others, did not seem in any way moved by their love-makings. No doubt, however, the love season was commencing, as here and there, among the hundreds assembled around the house, I could mark pairs which came together and went off again to the forest; the majority, however, had not made their choice. of partners, and were evidently only meditating matrimony. The blue and Canada jays were also about: the former as shy and wary as the other is tame and familiar, for reasons elsewhere observed.

The remainder of the day's journey commenced as it ended, under most discouraging circumstances; indeed no sooner did the horse attempt to mount a steep bank behind the inn than she sank shoulder-deep, and we had scarcely gained the top of the ridge, when, meeting a traveller returning from Stanley, we were informed that the road was absolutely impracticable, and judging from the wearied aspect of the man, and bleeding fetlocks of his horse, there could be no doubt we were about to face difficulties of no ordinary description. But resolved to try, I loosened the reins, and dismounting, left the horse to pick her way along the all but trackless forest road, whilst we pushed the sleigh behind, and jogged along as best we could. In vain the traveller, who as I ascertained subsequently was the Methodist clergyman of the district,

M