3-028-386 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Comedies of courtship: illustrating an aspect of Darwin's work, 1909. 'Animals That Would A - Wooing Go: Their Curious "Methods When Love-Making. The great gathering of men of science from all parts of the world, which the University of Cambridge summoned to do honour to her most distinguished son, Charles Darwin, naturally tended to re-awaken the public interest in his great work. Much of this concerns abstruse questions outside the experience of most people, but a great deal of it touched upon themes which appeal to us all. And not the least of these concerns the coloration of animals. Until he startled the world with his great theory, no one ever supposed that this coloration had any particular significance: we are now convinced that it has. The accompanying Illustrations will give a general idea at least of the results of his labours on the subject of the courtship of animals. He showed. that during this critical period some win their way to success through the blandishments of ornaments accompanied by weird dances and gestures, while with others battle, murder, and sudden death are the accompaniments of this phase of life'. From "Illustrated London News", 1909.