18.01.2013 Views

The Descent of Man

The Descent of Man

The Descent of Man

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

LENGTH OF COURTSHIP.<br />

<strong>The</strong> lengthened period during which both sexes<br />

<strong>of</strong> certain birds meet day after day at an appointed<br />

place probably depends partly on the<br />

courtship being a prolonged affair, and partly<br />

on reiteration in the act <strong>of</strong> pairing. Thus in<br />

Germany and Scandinavia the balzen or leks <strong>of</strong><br />

the black-cocks last from the middle <strong>of</strong> March,<br />

all through April into May. As many as forty or<br />

fifty, or even more birds congregate at the leks;<br />

and the same place is <strong>of</strong>ten frequented during<br />

successive years. <strong>The</strong> lek <strong>of</strong> the capercailzie<br />

lasts from the end <strong>of</strong> March to the middle or<br />

even end <strong>of</strong> May. In North America "the partridge<br />

dances" <strong>of</strong> the Tetrao phasianellus "last<br />

for a month or more." Other kinds <strong>of</strong> grouse,<br />

both in North America and Eastern Siberia (1.<br />

Nordman describes ('Bull. Soc. Imp. des Nat.<br />

Moscou,' 1861, tom. xxxiv. p. 264) the balzen <strong>of</strong><br />

Tetrao urogalloides in Amur Land. He estimated<br />

the number <strong>of</strong> birds assembled at above a<br />

hundred, not counting the females, which lie

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!