Chapter I: Preface

That “one touch of Nature which makes the whole World kin” is surely nowhere more obvious than in the “Courtship” of Animals. For the “Beasts that Perish,” no less than Man himself, are stirred by the same emotions; the Fever of Love runs as high in them as in ourselves; and its modes of expression are not so different, though they may superficially appear to be so. The nature of these differences and their interpretation, it is the purpose of this book to set forth.

Charles Darwin laid the foundation for the study of this phase of Animal behaviour in his masterly work on the “Descent of Man,” a work which has been much criticized and much misunderstood since Carlyle’s crude abuse of it as the “Gospel of Dirt.” Darwin was the first to show us that the fierce battles, and strange antics, which characterize so many of the “Lower Orders of Creation” under the exaltation of the Sexual emotions are manifestations fraught with tremendous consequences to the race.

The facts which he brought to light, and the discussions to which they have given rise, have, however, unfortunately been too commonly regarded as merely interesting to those who have a liking for Natural History.

This is a most unfortunate mistake. For such facts have a vitally important bearing on the very problems of social well-being which now loom so largely among us. “Reform” is in the air. Its protagonists are busy amongst us with schemes for our regeneration, among which “Sex-problems” are made to occupy a very conspicuous place. But no good can come of their cogitations so long as they fail to realize the springs of behaviour in this regard. The facts herein set down will, it is hoped, help much towards this end.

My labours in the preparation of these pages have been materially lightened by the help and counsel of many friends. To them I desire now to record my very grateful thanks. More especially am I indebted to my friends Mr. H. Eliot Howard, Professor Lloyd Morgan and Mr. John Cooke.

I must also thank those who have contributed towards the illustrations which enliven these pages. The delightful Frontispiece, and many of the plates scattered through this work, I owe to the generosity of Messrs. Rowland Ward, Limited. The excellent rendering of the Birds of Paradise adapted in part from the work of Mr. G. E. Lodge and the late J. G. Keulemans, and partly drawn from specimens in the British Museum, is the work of Mr. Roland Green. The very difficult, and less fascinating, technical figures I owe to the skill of Mr. Philip Whelpley. The wonderful photographs illustrating the “Display” of the Sun-bittern and the Kagu were taken by my friend Mr. D. Seth-Smith.

Finally I have to thank Mr. Roger Ingpen for the immense amount of trouble which he has taken in seeing these pages through the press.

W. P. Pycraft.

October, 1913.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION

The nature of Life and its power of reproduction—The
stuff of which Life is made—The Emotions—The simplest
living things—Where is neither Birth nor Death yet the
Population increases—The First Marriage—The beginning
of sex—The two dominating instincts—The conditions
of survival—The Oyster’s narrow world—“Fiddling
work”—Amorousness—The superior Male—Where Death
begins—“Germ-plasm” and what it means—Sex and “Secondary
sexual Characters”—Some theories—“Hormones” what are
they? 1

CHAPTER II

“MANKIND IN THE MAKING”

The use of the term “Courtship”—Primitive Man and
the Foundations of Society—“Amorousness” as a motive
force—Polygamy—Our half human ancestors—Standards of
Beauty—Disquieting signs 21

CHAPTER III

MAN’S COUSINS THE APES

The Man-like Apes and their mode of Life—Their
“Courtships”—Musical Chimpanzees—How the Orang-utan
improves his voice—His likeness to Caliban—The truculent
visage of the Gorilla—“Ornament” in the lower Apes—The
Concerts of the Howler Monkeys 40

CHAPTER IV

AT DAGGERS DRAWN

The Birth of Weapons—All Flesh is Grass—Utility and
Ornament—The Fever of Love—The “Challenge” of the
Deer—What it means-More about “Hormones”—“Hummel”
Stags—The Age of Deer—The “Courtship” of the Moose—Types
of Antlers—Antlered Females—Fighting Topi—The Lance
of the Oryx in the Lion’s Flanks—Happiness and
Hartebeestes—Odoriferous Suitors—The Bloody Sweat
of the Hippopotamus—The Elephant in Love—Concerning
Tusks—Polygamy 49

CHAPTER V

THE LION AND HIS KIN

A Surprising Relationship—The Lion’s Mane—The
Sabre-toothed Tiger—Some Theories about Origins—Sea-lions
in Love—Some Strange Ornaments—Whales and Weapons 77

CHAPTER VI

COURTSHIP AMONG BIRDS

Generalities—Darwin v. Wallace—The Peacock in his
Pride—The “Display” of the Peacock Pheasant—The
Splendour of the Argus Pheasant and the Marvel of
its Eyes—The Frill of the Amherst Pheasant—Birds of
Paradise in the Toils of Love—Inflated Suitors-Ruffs
and Reeves—Fearsome Weapons and their Uses—Birds which
dance-Musical Birds—The Bird’s Voice-box—The “Lek” of
the Capercaillie—Instruments of Percussion—The Curious
Performance of the Woodpecker 92

CHAPTER VII

THE SEXUAL SELECTION THEORY AS APPLIED TO BIRDS

Where the Rôle of the Sexes is reversed—Polygamy and how
it is brought about—Coloration and Courtship—Instinctive
Actions—The Importance of Landed Possessions—The Meaning
of “Display”—The Springs of “Behaviour”—A New Light
on the Wild-duck—The “Display” of the Great-crested
Grebe—Some Neglected Factors 134

CHAPTER VIII

SOME “COLD-BLOODED” LOVERS

The Courtship of the Crocodile—Amorous Lizards—Horned
Chameleons—A Flagellating Terrapin—The Frog that would
a-wooing go—Some Musical Frogs—Some marvellous instincts
in Newts 161

CHAPTER IX

LOVE-MAKING AMONG THE FISHES

Germinal variations—Fishes and Mate-hunting—Some
Remarkable Sexual Differences displayed by the Teeth
of “Rays”—The Double-eyed Fish—The Coloration of the
Dragonet—Some Curious Facts about Salmon—The Strange Use
of the Kidney in the Stickle-back—The Stickle-back and
Parental Duties—Siamese Fighting-fish 175

CHAPTER X

SOME OF THE “LOWER ORDERS”

Butterflies and Moths, and the Coloration of their
Wings—Female Choice and “Fine Feathers”—When Male
Butterflies are Dominant—Sexual Selection among
Butterflies—Abortive Experiments—Wallace and the Sexual
Selection Theory—The Sense of Smell in Butterflies and
Moths—Fragrant Butterflies—Wingless Moths and their
Lures to Lovers—Methods of Pairing among Butterflies and
Moths—More Experiments 185

CHAPTER XI

BEETLES THAT “BLUFF”

The Coloration, and other Forms of Ornament in Beetles,
and the Significance thereof in regard to the Sexual
Selection Theory—The Courtship of Grasshoppers and their
Kin—The Remarkable Ears of Locusts and Grasshoppers—The
Field-cricket and the Katydid as Troubadours—The
Wonderful Performances of the Cicadas—The Duels of
Long-horned Locusts—Dragon flies—The May-flies’ “Dance of
Death”—The Jaws of the Giant Alder-fly and their Strange
Use—Some Curious Facts about Stone-flies 208

CHAPTER XII

SCORPIONS, SPIDERS AND CRABS

Musical Lovers among Spiders and Scorpions—Colour
among Spiders, and its uses—The Spiders’ Dance of
Death—Spiders and Conjugal Bliss—How Pairing is
accomplished—Scorpions in Love—Musical Crabs—Quarrelsome
Fiddler-crabs—Crabs and Courtship in the Deep Sea-Amazons
among Prawns—Brine-shrimps and Water-fleas—“Natural” v.
“Sexual” Selection 236

CHAPTER XIII

SOME STRANGE MARRIAGE-CUSTOMS: AND VIRGIN BIRTHS

The Courtship of the Cuttle-fish—The Sumptuous Cradle of
the Argonaut—The Love-darts of the Snail—Hermaphrodites
and the Dangers of Self-fertilization—Oysters and
Beauty—Sex reduced to its Lowest Terms—Parthenogenesis
and Virgin Birth—The Story of the Hive-Bee—The Departure
of the Queen—The New Queen and her Marriage-flight—The
Celebration of the Nuptials and its Surprising Sequel—The
Widowed Queen turns Executioner—The Queen as Mother—The
Queen’s Daughters—Nursemaids’ Duties—Change of Work—The
Drones and their Career—Food and Sex—The Bumble-bee and
its Life-story 265