438 THE THRUSH FAMILY 



inclining upward and often sideways. The feathers of the head and 

 throat were compressed, giving to the bird a thin elongated look 

 sharply in contrast with that of its opponent. The bird sang rarely, 

 but once I saw it swaying its body from side to side. This, however, 

 was in mild weather (Oct. 15, 1910), and may have actually been a 

 courting action, for robins are known to breed exceptionally at this 

 time and later. But I do not think it was, the general character of 

 the relations of the two I was watching being unfriendly. These 

 displays seldom ended in actual blows, one or other of the parties 

 frequently having his attention diverted by the sight of something 

 eatable in the grass, the discovery being regarded by both as quite a 

 legitimate occasion for a truce. A young robin, not out of its moult, 

 which had a broken wing, used, in spite of this disadvantage, to defy 

 both the adult birds whose postures I have just been describing. Its 

 method was to crouch in the grass, and with its tail very erect to 

 present its beak like a bayonet to the foe, often at the same time 

 uttering by way of war-song a sort of low continuous warble. On one 

 occasion my wife saw one of the older robins also crouching, and in 

 this odd attitude both remained for a short time facing each other. 

 It should be added that hostilities were often actually begun without 

 any of the above-described preliminaries. Beneath all this lack of 

 uniformity there may have been some unifying principle, but a much 

 closer study of the facts will be needed to make it apparent. 



In the breeding season cocks do not limit their attentions to 

 displays, but express their feelings in a more practical form by 

 bringing choice morsels to the loved one, which she receives with 

 grateful quivering wings. It would be interesting to know whether 

 they do this before as well as after pairing, whether, that is, the 

 making of gifts forms a part of the courtship. The cock's zeal, how- 

 ever, does not, as far as my observation goes, lead him to assist his 

 mate in the building of the nest. For this remissness he has, occa- 

 sionally at least, a legitimate excuse, for I have seen the wife, when 

 carrying building material, turn and drive the husband from her 



