128 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



stalks and calling softly chuck-chuck, particularly when migrating 

 blackbirds flew overhead. They were rather fluffed up and only 

 the yellow margin of their shield showed. As soon as a singing spell 

 'overcame' one of the birds his whole attitude changed, and he dis- 

 played his red brilliantly — only to fall back into his former lethargic 

 condition when the singing was ended." 



Courtship. — While the male redwings are defending their terri- 

 tories and driving away migrating redwings of both sexes, the resi- 

 dent females come, between April 10 and May 1 at Ithaca, according 

 to Allen (1914). They select their own territories, where they plan 

 to build their nests, and these are usually near the station of some 

 established male or group of males. At first the male drives away the 

 newcomer and chases her about over the marsh, but she returns to 

 the spot she has selected. Eventually he is ready to select his mate 

 and may be seen following her about. "He never allows her to escape 

 from his sight, and as she hunts about near the water's surface, he 

 vaunts himself on the nearest cat-tail. They now may be considered 

 mated." 



Probably most redwings are mated in pairs that are true to each 

 other, but this is a matter that is not easily determined in a large 

 colony. Allen (1914) says: "Certain pairs have been observed 

 throughout the season, and found to be mated as steadfastly as are 

 most birds, while in others the tie seems to bind only so long as the 

 male is watchful and able to exert his lordship in driving away other 

 males. A female has been observed to receive one male with spreading 

 wings and quivering feathers, and in the next moment, when this bird 

 had been driven off, to welcome the victor with the same freedom and 

 display." 



Females sometimes take a more active part in the courtship per- 

 formance as observed by Thomas Proctor (1897), who says: "And 

 very amusing indeed it was to watch these comedians in sober brown, 

 but in extemporized ruffs, puffs and puckers, pirouette, bow and 

 posture, and thus quite out-do in airs and graces their black-coated 

 gallants. Their shrill whistle, the meantime continually vied with, 

 or replied to, the hoarse challenges of their admirers, while in noisy 

 chattering, and in teasing notes, they were excessively voluble." 



It is generally believed that the redwing is often polygamous, though 

 by no means always so. It is often evident that there are more 

 females and more occupied nests in a marsh than there are males. 

 In one swamp studied by Mayr (1941), he shows 12 nests in his sketch 

 in what he supposed were 6 territories; he was unable to determine 

 the exact number of males, but says that "there were not less than 

 four and not more than six." In another swamp, two males had 

 two females each and another had only one. 



