RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ENVIRONMENT 125 



of being silent and retiring, as if aware of some 

 end not fully attained, it not only makes itself 

 conspicuous but advertises its presence by a 

 song uttered with such perseverance as to 

 suggest that that end is at length attained. 

 Hence, in a general way, the instinct of song 

 seems to be related to the establishment of a 

 territory. 



Now the subsequent course of behaviour 

 tends to confirm this view. We have already 

 had occasion to refer to the fact that the males 

 of some species desert their territories temporarily 

 and join together on ground which is regarded 

 by the birds that associate there as neutral, and 

 that they do so not merely for the purpose of 

 securing food but because they derive some 

 special pleasure from the act of association, and 

 we shall find that the altered behaviour of the 

 male when it leaves its territory to seek food or 

 to join the flock is an important point for us 

 just now. 



Buntings desert their territories temporarily 

 and collect in flocks on the newly sown fields of 

 grain. Some of the males are single, others are 

 paired, and accompanied, it may be, by their 

 mates ; they wander over the ground in search 

 of food, uttering their call-notes from time to 

 time, or, setthng upon the hedges and trees 

 surrounding the field, rest there and preen their 

 feathers. But even though a male may be 

 surrounded by other males, even though it may 

 occupy a position where it is conspicuous to all 

 around, even though, that is to say, it is 



