144 IN PAIRING TIME 



of the human conscience. Whether or not birds 

 know anything of the satisfaction that comes of good 

 done is a question infinitely harder to answer. 



Even at the end of March, when the domestic 

 arrangements of the old birds are far advanced, some 

 of the young birds are still unpaired. Endless 

 chasings are going on, an unattached female leading, 

 and three or four males following closely at her tail. 

 Round and round the rookery they go in strong, 

 strenuous flight, until at last they alight, the males 

 contending for a near place beside the female bird. 

 He that flies longest and strongest, and beats off his 

 rivals most valiantly, will have the satisfaction of 

 bowing to his lady in the fields below. But let him 

 keep a sharp eye on the disappointed ones ; for I 

 have known one such swoop, and passing in low, 

 skimming flight, drive his bill against the nape of his 

 successful rival, and knock him sprawling before his 

 lady-love. This same kind of * 'pairing-flight" is 

 practised by Starlings, as I have elsewhere described 

 in detail. 



Meadow-pipits and Wagtails make themselves 

 conspicuous at pairing-time by wildly chasing one 

 another, so that they may commonly be seen dashing 

 along in couples, separated by only a few inches, 

 developing by uninterrupted wing-action a flight 

 quite unlike their usual hesitating motions in the air, 

 and a speed and agility in doubling and coasting 

 seldom exhibited at other times. 



Pairing-time appears to bring out in Meadow- 

 pipits and Wagtails also a latent habit of perching in 

 trees and bushes, a peculiarity, however, that I 

 have not noticed in the White or Grey Wagtails. 



