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The Descent of Man

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'Natural History <strong>of</strong> Ireland: Birds,' vol. ii. 1850,<br />

p. 327.) Mr. Blyth informs me that the males <strong>of</strong><br />

an allied bird (Gallicrex cristatus) are a third<br />

larger than the females, and are so pugnacious<br />

during the breeding-season that they are kept<br />

by the natives <strong>of</strong> Eastern Bengal for the sake <strong>of</strong><br />

fighting. Various other birds are kept in India<br />

for the same purpose, for instance, the bulbuls<br />

(Pycnonotus hoemorrhous) which "fight with<br />

great spirit." (6. Jerdon, 'Birds <strong>of</strong> India,' 1863,<br />

vol. ii. p. 96.)<br />

[Fig. 37. <strong>The</strong> Ruff or Machetes pugnax (from<br />

Brehm's 'Thierleben').]<br />

<strong>The</strong> polygamous ruff (Machetes pugnax, Fig.<br />

37) is notorious for his extreme pugnacity; and<br />

in the spring, the males, which are considerably<br />

larger than the females, congregate day after<br />

day at a particular spot, where the females propose<br />

to lay their eggs. <strong>The</strong> fowlers discover<br />

these spots by the turf being trampled somewhat<br />

bare. Here they fight very much like game-

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