Field experiments on responses of territorial male Holbrookia propinqua to the orange and yellow componenets of female secondary sexual coloration in that species demonstrate that both components identify the bearer as female and suggest that the orange component may partially inhibit male agonistic behavior. In H. propinqua the yellow component is visible from a distance. By identifying a resident female in her relatively small territory, the yellow component may curtail agonistic approaches by the dominant territorial male and thus prevent any associated increase in risk of predation. The orange component, which is usually at least partially concealed, is displayed to males by females actively rejecting curtship, usually at close range. It may reduce aggression by males to females behaving aggressively, but may also serve as a signal that the displaying resident female is gravid.