[B92]

Male & Female Birds

Some Parakeets beautifully coloured, but females rather less vivid, so gradations. Goulds Birds of Australia

Nymphicus Nnovae-Hollandiae (a cockatoo-like Birds, ♀? with splendid crested plume on Head; a good deal of difference in plumage yet ♀ beautiful Gould

Upupa Epops - sexes differ little, fine plumage

Smith S. Africa

Chizærhis concolor with fine plume ♀ like ♂

Aquila coronata ♀ plume on Head

Anas flavirostris ♀ colours like male "only not quite so dark" H. H Pl XC. VI - But a dark coloured Duck with green bar on wing. - Speculum of ♀ less brilliant general plumage not quite so dark like in

[in margin:] Smith. S. Africa

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B92v

Even in some group certain plumes only on speculum & plumes & other plain [2 words illeg] Peacock tail

All the sturdy Humming Birds — Gallinaceous — Many finches &c heads of birds with great supposed that gorgeous colours & plumes are secondary sexual characters & certainly of no use to bird— Then extend view —

Plumes & gaudy colours not direct effect of conditions, for not common to Both sexes - of no use to male - indeed injurious to female - How then account for presence either in one sex or both sexes. Not least difficulty if a Selective power be granted, even in cases when characters confined to one sex, for new characters often arisen in correlation. Perhaps greatest difficulty is in admitting to tastes of Birds & observation.

Gould, John. 1865. Handbook to the birds of Australia. 2 vols. London: by the author. CUL-DAR.LIB.229 vol. 1 PDF vol. 2 PDF

Smith, Andrew. 1849. Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa: vol. 1 Mammalia. London: Smith, Elder & Co. CUL-DAR.LIB.593.2 PDF

speculum: A lustrous mark on the wings of certain birds. OED.