60 DISPOSITION TO SECURE A TERRITORY 



may contribute towards survival, and may 

 therefore be the result of congenital disposi- 

 tions which have been determined on biological 

 grounds. On the other hand, since food at 

 that season is only to be obtained in a limited 

 number of situations, the birds may be simply 

 drawn together by accident. In the former 

 case the behaviour would be instinctive, in 

 the latter, though accidental at first, recurrent 

 repetition would tend to make it habitual ; but 

 in either case the impulse to accompany the 

 flock must be a powerful one, for on the one 

 hand it would depend upon inherited, and on 

 the other hand upon acquired, connections in 

 the nervous system. Now observe that soon 

 after the flock arrived in the meadow, single 

 males detached themselves ; there was no 

 hesitation, they just retired from their com- 

 panions and settled in their respective territories. 

 They were not expelled, for if their leaving had 

 been compulsory much commotion would have 

 preceded their departure, and their return 

 would certainly not have been welcomed. A 

 reference to the plan will make the position 

 clearer ; the neutral zone inhabited by the 

 flock is there shown as situated in one corner 

 of the meadow, the territories that fell under 

 observation are plotted out as far as possible 

 to scale, and the more important zones of 

 conflict are also marked. 



The males spent part of their time in their 

 respective territories and part with the flock, 

 so long as it remained in existence. When a 



