126 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



all roost together; and each morning they all leave for the north. The marsh to 

 them at this period is a shelter for the night only, and the entire day is spent 

 on the uplands. 



The birds referred to at the beginning of this chapter by Brewster, 

 Chapman, and the author probably belonged in this class, migrating 

 adult males. Allen (1914) says of the arrival of resident adult males: 



The arrival of resident males is first made clear by the actions of the birds 

 themselves. To one unfamiliar with their habits the exact time of arrival is not 

 apparent. Up to this time the birds, for the most part, have kept in more or 

 less well-defined flocks. They have been difficult to approach, the slightest 

 annoyance starting them off. * * * About the end of March, however, cer- 

 tain birds arrive, in whose actions a difference is noticed. They do not fly away 

 at one's approach, or, if frightened, soon return to the same spot. These birds 

 do not associate with the migrating flocks, and they roost alone. If one is ena- 

 bled to identify an individual bird among them by such characteristics as abnormal 

 feet or the loss of its tail or a primary feather, as has frequently been done in 

 this study, one finds that it never changes its station in the marsh after its 

 arrival. * * * From their first arrival, they assume all rights to the domain 

 in which they have established themselves. Frequently these domains adjoin 

 one another closely, but the birds seldom trespass on one another's rights. When 

 they do so, they seem to recognize the owner's prerogative, so that serious 

 quarrels never ensue. 



The resident males have been at their stations only a few days 

 before the first females and immature males appear among the 

 migrating flocks. The last days of March and first of April usually 

 usher them in. Says Allen (1914) : "Within a few days, as their num- 

 bers increase, small flocks made up entirely of females are observed. 

 It is about this time — the end of the first week in April — that the 

 males begin to show a slight interest in the presence of the females. 

 The former now spend more of their time in the marsh, and resent 

 intrusion into their domains. By this time their reproductive organs 

 show considerable increase in size. Among the migrating birds at 

 this time there is an increasing preponderance of immature males and 

 of females. The latter shun the presence of the males, and whenever 

 they do approach one of the residents, they are immediately driven off." 



During the early part of the third week in April, another group 

 arrives, the resident adult females. According to Allen (1914): 



The flocks break up and the single birds scatter over the marsh, as did the 

 resident males upon their first arrival. Usually they select a place near some 

 male or group of males. They are much more retiring than the latter, however, 

 and keep mostly near the water's surface, where they are inconspicuous. When- 

 ever they appear on the tops of the cat-tails, or more especially, when they 

 attempt to fly, they are immediately pursued by one or more of the males. 

 Occasionally a male drives a female in great circles over the marsh and even to 

 a considerable height. Eventually, however, he relinquishes the pursuit and 

 returns to his post. The earlier migrant females, when pursued in this way, 

 immediately leave the marsh. But now, as the male ceases pursuit, the female 



