OCR Text |
Show 104 SEXUAL SELECTION: Dllm . l'Aln' JJ. conjecture is that malo magpies must be mnch more numerous than tho females ; and tlHtt in tho above caseH, as well in many others which could be given, the m~l~s alone had been killed. This apparently lwlrls goocl m some instances, for tho gamekeepers in Dclamorc Forest assured Mr. lfox that the magpies and carrion-crows which they formerly killed in succes ion in largo numbers ncar their nests ,\·ere all males ; and they accounted for this fact by tho males being asily killed whilst brin<Yino- food to the sitting females. 1\Iacgil- b 0 livray, however, gives, on the authorjty of an excellent observer, an instance of three magpies successively killed on the same nest which were all females; and another case of six magpies successively killed whilst sitting on the same eggs, which renders it probab.le that roo t of them were females, though the malo w1ll sit on tho eggs, as I hear from Mr. Fox, when the female is killed. Sir J. Lubbock's gamekeeper has repeatedly shot, but how many times he could not ay, one of a pair of jays ( Garrulus glandarius ), and has never failed shortly ttfterwards to find the survivor rematched. 'l'he Hev. W. D. Fox, Mr. F. Bond, and others, have sh.ot one of a pair of carrion-crows (Corvus co1·one), but the nest was soon again tenanted by a pair. These birds are rather common; but the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) i~:~ rare, yet Mr. Thompson states that in Ireland "if "either an old malo or female be killed in the breed" ing-season (not an uncommon circumstance), another "mate is found within a very few days, so that tho " eyries, notwithstanding such casualties, arc sure to "turn out their complement of young." Mr. Jenner \V cir has known the same thing to occur with the poreo- riuc falcons at Beachy Head. The same observer fnrorms me that three kestrels, all males (Falco tinnun-a. Cli.ll'. XJ\' . UNI'AIHED DIJW. '. 103 culus ), were killed one after tho other whilst attending the· ~arne nest; two of thc::;o wcro iu mature plumage, and tho third in tho plumage of the prcrious year. Evun with tho rare golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), l\h. Bil·kbeck was as. urcd by a trustworthy gamekeeper .ia • 'cotland, that if one is killed, allother is soon found. So with the white owl (Strix jlammea), it has been observed that "the survivor readily iouncl a mate, and " the mischief wont on." White of Sclborne, who gives the case of tho O\vl, .add::; tl1at he knew a man, who from believing that partridges when paired were disturbed by tho males fighting, used to shoot them ; and though he had widowed the same female several times she was always soon provided with a fresh partner. This same naturalist ordered the sparrows, which deprived the housemartins of their nests, to be shot: but the one which was left, " be jt cock or hen, presently procured a mate, "' and so for several times following." I could add analogous cases relating to the chaffinch, nightingale, and redstart. ·with respect to tho latter bird (Ph03nicura rndicilla ), the writer remarks that it was by no means common in the neighbourhood, and he expresses much surprise how the sitting female could so soon give effectual notice that she was a widow. Mr. Jenner W cir has mentioned to me a nearly similar case: at Blackheath he never sees or hears the note of tho wild bullfinch, yet when one 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, who e call·note is far from loud.. I will give only one other fact, on the authority of this same observer; one of a pair of starlings (Sturnus vulga1·is) was shot in the rooming; by noon a new mate wa.s found; this was again shot, but before night tho pan· was complete; so that the disconso1atc widow or |