and appeared to have been cleared of every blade of grass and smoothed
as if by human hands. A male was capering, to the apparent delight of
several others. Now spreading its wings, throwing up its head, or
opening its tail like a fan; now strutting about with a hopping gait
until tired, when it gabbled some kind of note, and was relieved by
another. Thus three of them successively took the field, and then, with
self-approbation, withdrew to rest. The Indians, in order to obtain
their skins, wait at one of the meeting-places till the birds are
eagerly engaged in dancing, and then are able to kill with their
poisoned arrows four or five males, one after the other. (87. Journal
of R. Geograph. Soc. vol. x. 1840, p. 236.) With birds of paradise a
dozen or more full-plumaged males congregate in a tree to hold a
dancing-party, as it is called by the natives: and here they fly about,
raise their wings, elevate their exquisite plumes, and make them
vibrate, and the whole tree seems, as Mr. Wallace remarks, to be filled
with waving plumes. When thus engaged, they become so absorbed that a
skilful archer may shoot nearly the whole party. These birds, when kept
in confinement in the Malay Archipelago, are said to take much care in
keeping their feathers clean; often spreading them out, examining them,
and removing every speck of dirt. One observer, who kept several pairs
alive, did not doubt that the display of the male was intended to
please the female. (88. Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. xiii.
1854, p. 157; also Wallace, ibid. vol. xx. 1857, p. 412, and The Malay
Archipelago, vol. ii. 1869, p. 252. Also Dr. Bennett, as quoted by
Brehm, Thierleben, B. iii. s. 326.)
[Fig. 51. Polyplectron chinquis, male (T.W. Wood).]
The Gold and Amherst pheasants during their courtship not only expand
and raise their splendid frills, but twist them, as I have myself seen,
obliquely towards the female on whichever side she may be standing,
obviously in order that a large surface may be displayed before her.
(89. Mr. T.W. Wood has given ( The Student, April 1870, p. 115) a full
account of this manner of display, by the Gold pheasant and by the
Japanese pheasant, Ph. versicolor; and he calls it the lateral or
one-sided display.) They likewise turn their beautiful tails and
tail-coverts a little towards the same side. Mr. Bartlett has observed
a male Polyplectron (Fig. 51) in the act of courtship, and has shewn me
a specimen stuffed in the attitude then assumed. The tail and
wing-feathers of this bird are ornamented with beautiful ocelli, like
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