ANIMAL COURTSHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 47, 24 February 1923, Page 11

ANIMAL COURTSHIP.

SHOW OFF " AT MATING TIME.

AX INTERESTING REVIEW

Professor J. A. Thomson, in "John o' London," writes charmingly upon the subject of how animals "show off when mating. He says: —

"We are not thinking of oddities like the. dancing mouse, nor of the pathetic creatures, like the captive bears, which have been taught by man to 'dance.' What we have in mind arc various animals, at different levels of organisation, which show off before their desired mates with an abandon of movements, sometimes rhythmic and almost always graceful, for which dancing seems the only

"Thus, in the case of the courting redshanks, Mr. Edmund Selous has told us how the male waves and flutters his wings above his back, nervously moving his coral-red legr. and uttering i little tremulous note. As a matter of fact, he is rather behind than in front of his desired mate, but the slightest turn of bee restless head enables; her to keep him in view. Of course, until or unless her interest is aroused, the cock's dancing is of no use at all.

"A similar abspnee of elaborateness is illustrated by the ruffs, which do so much in the way of mock-fighting. Mr. Selous writes: 'Birds dart like lightning over the ground, turn, crouch, dart again, ruffle about each demure-looking, unperturbed little attraction, spring at each other, and then, as though earth were inadequate us a medium of emotional expression, rise into the air and dart around overhead, on the wing.* The ruff darts at the reeve, rebounds from her, darts back again, expands his collar, droops his wing, 'as though he would overwhelm her with his gallant show, but then sinks prostrate at her side, and remains thus glued to the earth.' Unless Nature is magical there is a high tide of emotion, as well as of bodily excitement. A COMPETITIVE DANCE. "Very striking arc the descriptions yiven of tiie behaviour of the South American cock-of-the-ock, where one suitor after another shows off in the midst of v gallery of spectators. "A clear arena is chosen, and there the candidate, with orange-scarlet crest and plumage, dances a minuet, spreading his wings ami tail. •Finally,' says the late Jlr. W. H. Hudson, 'carried away with excitement, lie leaps and gyrates in the most astonishing manner, until, becoming cxliausteJ, lie retires and another bird takes his place.' In this case a somewhat subtle note is struck, anticipating certain native dances in which only one person performs at a. time. There is :>. social and competitive aspect. "In his 'Naturalist in La Plata,' the late Mr. \V. H. Hudson, of evergreen memory, gave a number of examples of dancing among bir.U. His interpretation differed somewhat from Darwin's, for lie felt bound to conclude that in many cases the dance was not the cock's competitive display of good points, nor his endeavour to excite and rivet the hen bird's attention, but was rather an expression of joie de vivre and exuberant vigour. An overflow of joyousness in high-strung creatures will naturally find artistic expression and racial individuality. Kmotion and motion become closely linked. On the other hand, artistic exj pression at any level in very often useful, and from observations like those of Mr. Selous, and the little we have seen for ; ourselves, we are inclined to regard Mr. Hudson's interpretation simply as a supplement to the Darwinian one, that the male's dance, like his song, is an expression of lust and love—the ever-inter-mingled clay and gold—and is tiseful in exciting and focusing the desired mate's interest. In some cases the best reward will be given to the male who deserves it most. And that is always well. "But there is good reason to believe that among animals—as certainly in man—activities which were at first directly linked to sex may transcend the ffeshly trammels and acquire a new significance. Thus the voice, primarily a sex-call, becomes an instrument of reasonable discourse or a medium of purely aesthetic emotion. And it seems to us that this transmutation is hinted at in some of Mr. Hudson's cases. -Thus he tells us of the singularly wattled, wingspurred, long-toed jacanas, that a flock of them will suddenly respond to a note of invitation, leave off feeding and fly to one spot, where they form a close cluster and indulge in strange display, both sexes taking part. They spread out their wings, 'like beautiful flags grouped closely together: some hold their wings up vertically and motionless; others, half open and vibrating rapidly: while still others wave them tin and down with a slow, measured beat.' A QUAINT PERFORMANCE. "Still stranger is the spur-winged lapwing's performance, which occurs all the year round, either 'by day or in the light of the moon. Two members of a pair —a married couple in other words—are joined by a third plover, the husband of another spouse. They welcome his presence 'with notes and signs of pleasure.' Of course, it is very difficult for us to get mentally near these creatures! Is this a friendly, decorous visit, an old friend, perhaps a brother, coming to call on the married couplet Or is number three a seducer coveting his neighbour's wife: or is he welcomed because he fans the fires of waning conjuga.l affection? Or is it just what &*ots folk call a 'diversion,' nearer to play than to anything else? In any ease, it is artistic. Advancing to the visitor, the husband and wife place themselves behind him. Then a'l three, keeping step, begin a rapid march, uttering resonant drumming notes in time with their movements. The march ceases, the (visitor) leader e'evates his w ; n?s and st-nnds erect and motionless, still uttering loud notes; while the other two. with pufferlout plumage and standing exactly abreast, stoop forward and downward until (he tins of their beaks touch the ground, and. sinking their rhythmical voices ti a murmur, remain fnr some time in this postnr*. The performance is then over, and the vis-itor goes ba-k to his own ground and mate t« receive himse'f a visitor 1-ter on. The dnta ,r obvious.lv insufficient for ;».r it »w '•':»■■■ t , '" . tn ; m ,l VT.ivi..ur i- subtler thui many people tb»'k. |