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Show 114 SEXUAL , 'ELECTION: BIRDS. l'Al:T IL remarks. do not apply to the many recorded instances of tamed or domestic birds, belonging to distinct species,. which have become absolutely fascinated with each other, although living with their own species. Thus. Watcrton 18 states that out of a flock of twenty-three Clanada geese, a female paired with a sofitary Berniclc· gander, although so different in appearance a~d size; and they produced hybrid offspring. A male· Wigeon (Mareca; penelope), living with females of the sam species, bas been known to pair with a Pintail duck, Querqwedula acuta. Lloyd describes the remarkable· attachment between a shield-drake (Tadorna vulpanser) and a common duck. Many additional instances could be given; and the Rev. E. S. Dixon remarks that "Those " who have kept many different species of geese to" gather, welr know what unaccountable attachments " they are frequently forming, and that they are quito "as likely to pair and rear young with individuals of a " race (species) apparently the most alien to themselves,. " as with their own stock." Tho Rev. W. D. Fox informs me that he possessed at the same time a pair of Chinese geese (Anser· cygnoides), and a common gander with three geese. The two lots kept quite separate·, until the Chinese gander seduced one of the common geese to live with him. Moreover; of tho young birds. hatched from tho eggs of the common geese, only fou.r were- pure; tho· other eighteen proving hybrids ; so that tho· Chinese· gander seems to have· had prepotent charms ove-r the- common gander. I will .1s Wnterton, 'Essays on Nat. !list.' 2nd series, p. 42, !17. For the· following statements, sec on the wigeon, London's 'l\fn~. of Nat. Ui~t.' vol. ix. p. GIG; L. Lloyd',' Scandinavian AU.vcatures,' vol. i.l85±, p. 4.5~; Dixon, 'Ornamental and Domestic Poultry,' p. 137; Hewitt, in 'Journal of Horfcnlturc,' Jnn. lR, 18G3, p. 40 ; B rhstcin , 'Rtubenviigel,' 18!0·, 1:1. ~.no. CHAP. XLV. PREFERENCE BY 'l'IIE FEMALE. 115 give only one other case; Mr. Hewitt states that a wild duck, reared in captivity, "after breeding a couple of " sca~ons with her own mallard, at once shook him off " on my placing a mail Pintail on the water. It was " evidently a case of love at first Right, for she swam "abrmt the new .. comcr caressingly, though he appeared " evidently alarmed and avei·se to her overtures of " affection. From that hour she forgot her old partner. '' Winter passed by, and the next spring the Pintail "seemed to have become a convert to her blandish" ments, for they nested and produced seven or eight " young ones." What the charm may have been in these several cases, beyond mere novelty, we cannot even conjecture. Colour, however, sometimes comes into play; for in order to raise hybrids from the siskin ( Fringilla spiriiUs) and tho cana1·y, it is much the best plan, according to Bechsteiu, to place birds of the same tint together. Mr. Jenner vV cir turned a female canary into his aviary, where there were male linnets, goldfinches, siskins, green-finches, chaffinches, and other birds, in order to sec which she would choose; but there never was any doubt, and the greenfinch carried the day. They paired and produced hybrid offspring. With the members of the same species the fact of the female preferring to pair with one malo rather than with another is not so likely to excite attention, as when this occurs between distinct species. Such cases can best be observed with domesticated or confined Lirds ; but these are often pampered by high feeding, and sometimes have their instincts vitiated to an extreme degree. Of this latter fact I could give sufficient proofs with pigeons, and especially with fowls, but. they cannot be here related. Vitiated instincts may also account for some of the hybrid unions above referred I 2 |
