Grades of evolution in the syrinx or organ of voice in the males of Surface-feeding and Diving-ducks 126 Fighting for territory 140 The display of the Grasshopper Warbler 142 The display of the Sun-bittern 142 The Kagu in display 142 A male-Savi’s Warbler 152 Another aspect of the Kagu’s “display” 154 Some strange accompaniments of courtship: The White-headed Bell-bird 156 The Umbrella-bird 156 Skull of the American white-beaked Pelican 156 Head of a Puffin, showing the moulting of the beak sheath 156 The Satin Bower-bird and its bower 158 The “bower” of the Bower-bird 158 The Bearded Lizard 166 Bright colours which cannot be attributed to “sexual selection” 200 Stridulating organs, etc. 218 Crickets and May-flies 220 Male Astia displaying before the less brilliant female 242 Male Icius displaying 242 Scorpions 252 Death of the male Scorpion 254 The female Mantis devouring her mate 254 The “Fiddler-crab” among mangrove roots 258 The “Fiddler-crab” 258 Some remarkable devices 262 Some remarkable methods of “courtship” 268 THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS CHAPTER I 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?