Abstract
THE Zoological Society of London has just received a noteworthy addition to its Gardens in a pair of Rheinhardt's Argus pheasants (Rheirihardtius ocellata), for this is one of.the rarest of the pheasant tribe. Those who are interested in problems of sexual selection will find these birds well worth thoughtful study, for they present a striking contrast with the commoner and better known Argus pheasant (Argusianus). This bird occupied a prominent place in Darwin's “Descent of Man”, on account of the enormous development of the secondary wing-feathers, the like of which is seen in no other bird. These feathers are also remarkable for their ornamentation, which consists of a series of ocelli which, as Darwin pointed out, when they are displayed in the courtship attitude, look like a series of balls lying within a cup-shaped socket, while the primaries are marked by a pattern of indescribable beauty. The wings of Rheinhardt's pheasant lack any form of ornament, and in shape conform to the usual type of pheasant wing. The tail feathers, however, are prodigiously long and marked by a pattern of considerable beauty. This striking difference in the secondary sexual characters in these two birds is puzzling. Nothing seems to be known of the nature of the display of Rheirihardtius in its amorous moods. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the new arrivals will greatly enlighten us on this point. The display of the wings in the Argus pheasant is unique, the two wings being widely spread so as to form an enormous circular fan completely concealing the rest of the body. It affords an unanswerable argument to those who hold that birds in ‘display’ are not conscious of their finery.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sexual Selection in the Pheasant. Nature 133, 789 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133789b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133789b0