^6 BIRD WATCHING 



" lek-platz " may, as I have seen, become meek and 

 retreat from it upon the entry of another, which other 

 is then, of course, ipso facto, the boldest bird in exist- 

 ence. Blackbirds are considered to be quarrelsome,* 

 and I know that even the hens — or, perhaps, 

 they especially — will sometimes fight in the most 

 vindictive manner. But, as with these wheatears, I 

 have seen in the case of rival cock blackbirds a 

 great deal of chariness of real fighting mingle with 

 much ostentation of being ready to fight. 



I am not, of course, disputing the pugnacity of 

 birds during the breeding season and often at other 

 times. That is quite beyond doubt, and proofs or 

 instances of it are altogether superfluous. But the 

 pugnacity is all the greater if, in order for it to 

 assert itself, a greater or less degree of timidity, 

 varying, of course, in different species and individuals, 

 must first be overcome. Assuming that this is 

 sometimes the case (and I know not how else such 

 instances as I have given are to be explained), is 

 it so unlikely that rival birds, wishing to fight yet 

 half afraid to, and being thus in a state of great 

 nervous tension, should fall into certain violent or 

 frenzied movements, into little paroxysms of fury, 

 as when a man is popularly said to " dance with 

 rage"? Anything that excites highly tends to 

 exalt the courage and conquer fear, as we know 

 with our own martial music, to say nothing of the 

 "pyrrhic" and other dances. It seems possible, 



* Whereas the thrush (it is usually added) is peaceable. But this is one 

 of those passed-on things with which natural history is burdened. From 

 my own experience, I know it to be otherwise. I have watched 

 thrushes fighting furiously, not only with one another but with the 

 blackbird also. 



