34 DISPOSITION TO SECURE A TERRITORY 



males which we are endeavouring to explain in 

 the case of the migrants. Let us see how their 

 actions compare. The male resident deserts the 

 female early in the year and establishes itself in 

 a definite position, where it advertises its presence 

 by song ; the male migrant travels from a great 

 distance, arrives later, and also establishes itself 

 in a definite position, where it, too, advertises its 

 presence by song. The male resident passes 

 only the earlier part of the day in its territory at 

 the commencement of the period of occupation ; 

 the male migrant remains there continuously 

 from the moment it arrives. The male resident 

 deserts its territory at intervals, even in the 

 morning ; the male migrant betrays no inclina- 

 tion to do so. Thus there is a very close 

 correspondence between the behaviour of the 

 two, and what difference there is — slight after 

 all — cannot be said to affect the main biological 

 end of securing territory. One is apt to think 

 of the problem of migration in terms of the 

 species instead of in terms of the individual. 

 One pictures a vast army of birds travelling 

 each spring over many miles of sea and land, 

 and finally establishing themselves in different 

 quarters of the globe ; and so it comes about, 

 I suppose, that a country or some well-defined 

 but extensive area is regarded as the destination, 

 the ultimate goal, of the wanderers. But the 

 resident male has a journey to perform, short 

 though it may be ; it, too, has a destination 

 to reach, neither a country nor a locality, but 

 a place wherein the rearing of offspring can 



