82 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



is noteworthy that these latter, beyond such attendance, 

 make no direct attempt to interfere with the course of events, 

 and it is also interesting to find that the female very 

 frequently pauses to repulse and drive them off, returning 

 again to follow the original drake. On the conclusion of 

 courtship the two birds may sooner or later drift apart ; and 

 this is particularly the case in the earlier part of the season. 

 Later, the tendency of the courted drake to follow and 

 remain in company with the duck grows more evident, and 

 the connection becomes absolute by stages. It seems reason- 

 able to assume that in these phenomena are witnessed the 

 essential steps by which the segregation of the flock into 

 pairs is attained. The extent to which pairing has gone by 

 November is largely masked by the close packing of the 

 birds during the daytime ; it is more readily observed during 

 the flight out to the feeding-grounds at dusk. While true 

 display is normally absent amongst paired birds, its wide 

 prevalence during early winter suggests that it may recur 

 amongst these birds whilst flocked together during the day- 

 time ; and it is possible, or even probable, that a change of 

 partners may take place more than once. Pairing is, in fact, 

 of gradual growth, not a sudden transformation, and no 

 precise moment can be pointed to for its inception or conclu- 

 sion. The link connecting the couples is clearly weak during 

 the earlier stages; its bonds strengthen with time, and 

 towards early spring the pairs show an increasing tendency 

 to separate even during daytime. 



The comparative absence of rivalry or competition in the 

 present species between individuals of the same sex is 

 remarkable, considering the social relationships of pairing. 

 What jealousy exists appears in occasional threatening 

 motions, occasionally culminating in short pursuits, during 

 which the birds sometimes dive to avoid each other. Any- 

 thing in the nature of a fight is practically absent. Moreover, 

 these suggestions of hostility occur chiefly during display, and 

 are absent during the most important and critical moments 

 when specific courtship is proceeding. If a true competition 

 and struggle for mates exists, it takes some other form than 

 physical force. It is also worth pointing out that, in the 



