72 BIRD WATCHING 



hops about as before, flies up into the air, descends, 

 and again dances about. 



" At about four the female reappears, flying from 

 the warren towards the same willow-tree where she 

 had before sat. She perches in it again, and after 

 remaining but a short time, flies down, and once 

 more becomes invisible. Shortly afterwards one of 

 the male birds flies to a little distance, but whether 

 towards her or not I cannot say. He then rises into 

 the air and descends with a twittering song, upon 

 which the other one, who has remained where he 

 was, does so too. The two are now a good way 

 apart, but the' distance is soon diminished till they 

 are again quite near, when one of them flies away, 

 then turns and flies back again and settles not quite 

 so near. As he does so, the other one flies in an 

 opposite direction, and at the end of his flight rises 

 into the air with the twitter-song and descends, when 

 the other immediately does the same, just as before. 

 Then again they hop, now this way, now that way, 

 but always diminishing the distance, till at length 

 not more than some three or four feet separates 

 them. But it must not be supposed (and this applies 

 throughout) that the birds seem to have any sinister 

 intention, or even any impertinent curiosity, in regard 

 to each other. They do not advance openly to the 

 attack, but get to close quarters in a very odd sort 

 of way. Seeming for the most part to be uncon- 

 scious of each other's presence, hopping constantly 

 away from and approaching one another but ob- 

 liquely, they in reality dog each other's steps and 

 keep a constant eye on each other's movements. 

 When at length there is but this short space be- 



