24 IN A CHESHIRE GARDEN 



lawn, which happens to be just opposite my 

 window, where I could watch them easily and 

 unobserved. They seemed to go through a 

 regular set performance, like a game or a 

 dance. They did not fight, though they 

 sometimes sparred a little, but ran round and 

 round and in and out, following and passing 

 one another. It reminded me of a friendly 

 gathering of husbands for amusement, while 

 their wives were busy with household cares 

 at home ! 



I was much interested one day (March, 

 1902) in the proceedings of two pair of 

 blackbirds. One very elegant cock, slender 

 and graceful, with intensely black coat and 

 very bright orange bill, was seeking to im- 

 press the hen of his choice by a series of little 

 runs on every side of her, with his tail spread 

 out and sweeping the grass, his body in the 

 shape of a bow, his beak almost touching the 

 ground; meanwhile, the object of all this 

 attention seemed to consider it a mere matter 

 of course and to be calmly indifferent. Pre- 

 sently another cock, not nearly so spruce, 

 came on the scene accompanied by another 

 mate. The gallant dandy evidently had no 

 stomach for fighting, and promptly disap- 

 peared behind a holly bush when the new- 

 comer threatened to assault him. His 

 partner, however, was made of sterner stuff, 

 and without more ado attacked and drove 

 away both the intruders. 



