536 MR. J. S. HUXLEY ON THE 
attitude. The hen very shortly jumps up, and pairing 
takes place. 
(y) A little later they again approach the platform, and the 
cock again goes into the passive attitude upon it. 
The hen, however, takes no notice, and the cock 
comes off. 
(8) He follows her, they both turn, and he repeats his 
previous action—again without result. He then comes 
off, and fetching a piece of weed, lays it on the nest. 
The female comes up, and they lay a few bits of weed 
on the nest together, but very perfunctorily. 
May \\th. 
(a) Not long after a bout of shaking, they swim together to 
the weeds. The hen assumes the passive attitude on 
the water. The cock approaches, “‘ appearing interested” 
(cf. p. 501), but suddenly turns round and also assumes 
the passive position (but not so pronouncedly), in such 
a way that the two are tail to tail. Both then rise 
up, the cock presses past the hen, and goes into the 
passive position on the nest. The hen makes but a 
slight response, and the cock, after adding a piece of 
weed to the nest, swims off in company with his mate. 
(8) After less than half an hour they swim towards the 
platform, the cock leading. The cock goes into the 
passive attitude, and is imitated by the hen when she 
arrives. There is, however, no further result, and 
the pair swim off in company. 
(y) After about forty minutes they again swim towards the 
platform; the cock is far ahead, and on reaching 
the platform he ascends it and assumes the passive 
attitude. On this, however, the hen apparently 
becomes coy, for she suddenly turns and swims off; 
but when the cock follows her, she turns and swims 
eagerly to him—a pretty piece of psychology. 
With this I have summarised the most important of Selous’s 
facts. Others will be found under the separate headings. 
9. FURTHER DETAILS REGARDING THE RELATIONS OF THE SEXES. 
(i.) Shaking. 
The typical bout of shaking is of ten or a dozen shakes, the 
crest erected in a definite way, the necks stretched straight up to 
their fullest extent, the two birds facing each other at a distance 
of a few inches only. 
It is usually initiated by the birds swimming towards each other 
at a moderate pace, meanwhile gradually raising their crests and 
necks, and giving a repeated double call rather resembling that 
up-and-down call of the Snipe as he sits in the marsh. i 
