The Descent of Man

the accepted lover of the females, had his ornamental
plumage spoiled. He was then immediately
superseded by a rival, who got the
upper hand and afterwards led the flock.
It is a remarkable fact, as shewing how important
colour is in the courtship of birds, that Mr.
Boardman, a well-known collector and observer
of birds for many years in the Northern
United States, has never in his large experience
seen an albino paired with another bird; yet he
has had opportunities of observing many albinos
belonging to several species. (29. This statement
is given by Mr. A. Leith Adams, in his
'Field and Forest Rambles,' 1873, p. 76, and accords
with his own experience.) It can hardly
be maintained that albinos in a state of nature
are incapable of breeding, as they can be raised
with the greatest facility under confinement. It
appears, therefore, that we must attribute the
fact that they do not pair to their rejection by
their normally coloured comrades.