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The Descent of Man

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s. 740. See also on this bird Azara, 'Voyages<br />

dans l'Amerique merid.' tom. iv. 1809, pp. 179,<br />

253.) In certain plovers, however, the wingspurs<br />

must be considered as a sexual character.<br />

Thus in the male <strong>of</strong> our common peewit (Vanellus<br />

cristatus) the tubercle on the shoulder <strong>of</strong><br />

the wing becomes more prominent during the<br />

breeding-season, and the males fight together.<br />

In some species <strong>of</strong> Lobivanellus a similar tubercle<br />

becomes developed during the breedingseason<br />

"into a short horny spur." In the Australian<br />

L. lobatus both sexes have spurs, but these<br />

are much larger in the males than in the females.<br />

In an allied bird, the Hoplopterus armatus,<br />

the spurs do not increase in size during the<br />

breeding- season; but these birds have been<br />

seen in Egypt to fight together, in the same<br />

manner as our peewits, by turning suddenly in<br />

the air and striking sideways at each other, sometimes<br />

with fatal results. Thus also they drive<br />

away other enemies. (17. See, on our peewit,<br />

Mr. R. Carr in 'Land and Water,' Aug. 8th, 1868,

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