[177]

Oct 17

Pharbitis Convolvulus

[data not transcribed]

(Used)

[177v]

68 80

Chap. 8

at night. These statements may apparently be trusted, because the same man said that the sexes are about equal with the Lark, the twite (Linaria montana) and Goldfinch. On the other hand he is certain that with the common linnet, the females preponderate greatly, but unequally during different years; during some years he has found the females to the males as four to one, It should, however, be borne in mind that the chief season for catching birds does not begin till September, so that partial migration may have occurred, for and the flocks at this period often consist of hens alone. Mr. Salvin paid particular attention to the sexes of the Humming birds which he collected in Central America, and is convinced that with most of the species the males are in excess; thus one year he procured 204 specimens belonging to ten species, and these consisted of 166 males and of 38 females. With two other species the females were in excess: but the proportions apparently vary either during different seasons or in different localities; for on one occasion the males of Campylopterus hemileucurus were to the females as five to two, and on another occasion 48*(M) in exactly the reversed ratio. As bearing on this latter point, I may add

[Descent 1: 307: "The males of the black-bird, he likewise maintained, were by far the most numerous, whether caught by traps or by netting at night. These statements may apparently be trusted, because the same man said that the sexes are about equal with the lark, the twite (Linaria montana), and goldfinch. On the other hand he is certain that with the common linnet, the females preponderate greatly, but unequally during different years; during some years he has found the females to the males as four to one. It should, however, be borne in mind, that the chief season for catching birds does not begin till September, so that with some species partial migrations may have begun, and the flocks at this period often consist of hens alone. Mr. Salvin paid particular attention to the sexes of the humming-birds in Central America, and he is convinced that with most of the species the males are in excess; thus one year he procured 204 specimens belonging to ten species, and these consisted of 166 males and of 38 females. With two other species the females were in excess: but the proportions apparently vary either during different seasons or in different localities; for on one occasion the males of Campylopterus hemileucurus were to the females as five to two, and on another occasion48 in exactly the reversed ratio. As bearing on this latter point, I may add, that Mr. Powys found in Corfu and Epirus the sexes of the chaffinch keeping apart, and "the females by far the most numerous;" whilst in Palestine Mr. Tristram found "the male flocks appearing greatly to exceed the female in number."49
47 Mr. Jenner Weir received similar information, on making enquiries during the following year. To shew the number of chaffinches caught, I may mention that in 1869 there was a match between two experts; and one man caught in a day 62, and another 40, male chaffinches. The greatest number ever caught by one man in a single day was 70."]