A Red Bird in a Brown Bag

Part 1. Prelude. 1. Darwinism and Wallacism: A Brief Account of the Long History of the Study of Plumage Coloration. 2. A Red Bird in a Brown Bag: An Introduction to the House Finch. 3. In the Eye of the Beholder: Color Vision and the Quantification of Color. Part 2. The Proximate Control and Function of Red Plumage. 4. You Are What You Eat: Plumage Pigments and Carotenoid Physiology. 5. A Matter of Condition: The Effects of Environment on Plumage Coloration. 6. Darwin Vindicated: Female Choice and Sexual Selection in the House Finch. 7. Fine Fathers and Good Genes: The Direct and Indirect Benefits of Female Choice. 8. Studs, Duds, and Studly Duds: Plumage Coloration, Hormones, and Dominance. 9. The Feeling's Mutual: Female Plumage Coloration and Male Mate Choice. Part 3. Biogeography and the Evolution of Colorful Plumage. 10. From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli (New York): Populations, Subspecies, and Geographic Variation in Ornamental Coloration. 11. Why Red?: The Evolution of Color Display. 12. Epilogue. Glossary. References. Index