78 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



THE DISPLAY OF THE MALLARD IN 

 RELATION TO PAIRING. 



By S. E. Brock. 



The display attitudes and actions of the Mallard which 

 characterise the period preceding the break-up of the flocks 

 into pairs, have been studied and described by Messrs J. G. 

 Millais 1 and H. Wormald. 2 There seems, however, room for 

 further observation with a view to tracing the relation, if 

 any, which these curious performances bear to the securing 

 of mates. The present contribution to the subject is based 

 on a considerable number of notes collected during the past 

 two or three years. Such conclusions as are arrived at are 

 presented tentatively, without any intention of dogmatism. 

 Bird-behaviour does not lend itself to measurement. " It is 

 in his own mind alone that the observer has the constituent 

 elements from which an interpretation can be framed " ; 

 and unbiassed interpretation is perhaps only relatively possible. 

 An approach to a true analysis is reached in each case in 

 proportion to the number of observers who are induced to 

 attack independently the problems involved. 



The attitudes adopted by the drake during display 3 

 have been fully detailed and illustrated by H. Wormald (Joe. 

 cit.), but it may be convenient here to summarise them 

 briefly. 



1 J. G. Millais, "The Natural History of British Surface-feeding 

 Ducks" (1902). 



'-' H. Wormald, " The Courtship of the Mallard and other Ducks," 

 Brit. Birds, iv. (1910-11) pp. 2-7. 



3 It seems preferable to avoid the word "courtship" as a general 

 term for the activities connected with mating, both by reason of its 

 implication and its ambiguity as frequently used. Apart from their 

 material form, the phenomena involved which Groos would include 

 under the general designation of " love-play " appear to fall into three 

 series, according as to whether they are the expression of: (1) emotional 

 overflow, spontaneous or responsive, without objective direction (display) ; 

 (2) courtship proper, i.e., definite courtship of individuals ; (3) emotional 

 relationships, nesting-formalities, etc., of paired birds. In some cases 

 the behaviour may assume a similar expression in each class, but in 

 most species there appears to be more or less definite distinction. 



