13G 



DISCOVERY 



make the open water a common fishinR-ground, and only 

 delimit territories round their nests in the frinRing 

 beds of rce<ls. I'inally, in such birds as the Guillemots 

 and other clitl-dwcUers, whose nesting space is exceed- 

 ingly limite<l, but whose feeding-ground is the unbounded 

 sea, the territory is restricted to a few square feet upon 

 a ledge of rock. It is none the less important for that, 

 and the same instincts are displayed to stake out claims, 

 the same fights occur for possession. 



During the breeding-season, the whole instinctive life 

 of the bird is conditioned by the territory first and 

 foremost, and only in lesser degree by the presence of 

 its actual or potential mate. Of tliis curious fact, 

 which holds most rigorously in the common monogamous 

 birds, Mr. Howard gives a number of instances. For 

 example, he observed how the male Lapwings which 

 had detached themselves temporarily from the flock, 

 and were occupying territory, were quarrelsome and 

 impatient of intruders, whether male or female, while 

 the same birds during a part of the day when they had 

 returned to the flock were as good-natured as the rest. 

 But if the flock happened to be frightened up into the 

 region of the territories, their occupiers would be just as 

 jealous of the presence of the flock as of single birds. 

 Further, in tliis stage of the yearly cycle the males 

 took no particular interest in the females. 



It is impossible to go into more detail here. The 

 theory of Mr. Howard in most general terms may be 

 stated as follows. Territory in some form or other is 

 of prime biological importance in the life of birds (and 

 probably of other groups as well). The first sign of 

 sexual activity — the first effect, presumably, of the 

 vernal change in the sexual organs — is in most species 

 seen in the instinct of the males, not, as has usually been 

 assumed, to seek out the females, but to find, occupy, 

 and defend a territory. So far as there is choice of 

 mates in monogamous species, it is by the females, who 

 seek out the males ; but they only compete for those 

 males who are in possession of territory. Even when 

 the pair is established in the area, the occasions when 

 the female is the primary object of the male's actions is 

 only during the so-called courtship, whose function is 

 to stimulate the female psychically and bring her to the 

 condition in which pairing may be accomplished ; but 

 both male and female, singly and as a pair, still react 

 to the fact of territory, and are always active in its 

 defence. Mr. Howard quotes an illuminating observa- 

 tion : he saw a weasel passing through the territory of 

 a pair of Reed-Buntings, who were pursuing it in rage. 

 Another male of the same species of bird approached. 

 But instead of welcoming it as an aid in driving ofi the 

 intruder, the male whose nest was actually in danger 

 several times left the pursuit of the weasel to attack the 

 other Reed-Bunting ! 



It is clear that such a concept is of great importance, 

 both as something new in itself, and as exerting a marked 

 influence upon our theories of sexual selection. The 

 primary sexual instinct of birds becomes the instinct to 

 occupy territory ; the primary function of song is to 

 advertise the possession of territory. 



We congratulate Mr. Howard upon having discovered 

 a principle of such importance, upon the intrinsic interest 

 of the observations on which he bases his ca.se, and upon 

 the presentation of that case in this work. Praise is 

 also due to the charming illustrations by Lo<lge and 

 especially by Gronvold — full of life and point. 



Here and there Mr. Howard has perhaps generalised 

 a little too far. The mental life of birds is more varied 

 than most people think, and their life-histories show 

 most remarkable divergencies. Mr. Howard has for the 

 most part confined himself to Passeres and to Limicola;. 

 In other groups, things sometimes are a little different. 

 For instance, in the Crested Grebe, hostility between 

 pairs does not seem to be manifested only within the 

 boundaries of the territory of one of the pairs, but 

 anywhere. This would mean that the mate played a 

 more important part in conditioning the mental reactions 

 than in Warblers or Buntings. Again, in Herons and 

 Egrets (at least in the two American species with whose 

 habits the reviewer is familiar), it is not the male who 

 seeks out the territory long before pairing-up, but 

 pairing-up occurs on the- communal feeding-grounds, 

 and the couple then, deserting the flock, together choose 

 and occupy a nesting-site (often abandoning one or two 

 sites before finally satisfying themselves). Mr. Howard 

 also believes that one bird of a pair which is in possession 

 of territory w-ill never desert its mate in favour of 

 another bird. However, the female of a pair of Black 

 Swans which recently came under observation not only 

 deserted its mate for an older bird, but now takes an 

 active part in driving its former husband off whenever 

 he appears upon the scene. 



These, however, are minor points. The main thesis 

 stands, and will remain of prime importance for our 

 understanding of the life of birds. The general biologist 

 no less than the naturalist and the lover of birds should 

 read and ponder this book. 



JULI.\N S. HU.XLEV. 



The Essentials of Mental Measurement. By W.M. 

 Brown, M.D., D.Sc, and Godfrey H. Thomson. 

 D.Sc, Ph.D. (Cambridge University Press, 2\s.) 



This is a new \-olume of the Cambridge Ps\-chological 

 Library. It is a revised and expanded edition of Dr 

 Browns book published in 191 1. A large amount of 

 new material has been added by Dr. Godfrey Thomson. 

 For experts and students only. 



Queen Victoria. By Lytton Str.\chey. (Chatto & 

 Windus, 15s.) 



The Mystery of Space. By Robert T. Browne. 

 (Kegan Paul, 15s.) 



The Great Riddle. By Fr.xnk Horridge. (Kegan 

 Paul, 3s. 6d.) 



