648 MR. J. s. nuxLF.y on the 



find was able to see the whole of the courtship ami pairing. 

 When I say the whole, I do not mean that I saw every detail, 

 nor that every detail I saw is clear to me. But I mean that 

 I know wliat is the general course of events, and can interpret 

 the bii'ds' behaviour more or less consistently. 



On returning to civilization and libraries, to my surprise 1 

 could (ind ver}^ little on the subject : the observations recorded 

 wore either fragmentary or inaccura.te. It was not until most 

 of this paper was written that I discovered a fairly coiuplete 

 account by Selous *. This had remained undiscovered owing to 

 the absence of any I'eferenco to Kedshanks in the title of the 

 paper or in the index of the volume. 



I luive thought it worth while to publish my observations, 

 however, since they diller in several points from those of Belous. 

 Meanwhile, 1 fully realize their incompleteness, and recogni/.o 

 that they cannot as yet be properly used in any general discussion 

 of the theory of sexual selection. I hope to continue my own 

 observations when opportunity offers, but ventnre to publish 

 this general outline at once as a stimulus to other bird-watchers 

 and naturalists. 



2. LocALrrv, etc. 



Befor-e passing on to the birds' actions I nmst tlrst just 

 n\ention the theatre where I saw them played. This was p;irt of 

 a svnall estuary in the northern half of Cardigan Bay : an ai-in 

 runs out on one side at right angles to the I'iver, thus giving 

 during high spring tides a land-locked sheet of water nearly a 

 mile long and half a mile wide; dvu-ing neaps, even high tide 

 failed to cover it. Numbers of Redshanks and other birds fre- 

 quented this expanse, and especially its head or most landward 

 end, where they were close to a thick bed of reeils and tussocks ; 

 the nuid here was scarcely ever covered by the tide, though kept 

 always moist by a little stream. 



At one side, of the head was a low ridge of grass-covei'ed 

 dunes, about five feet high and thirty or forty feet long, Avith level 

 gi'ound behind them. Tluis, by ci'awling over the flat, I could 

 get up to the d.vnies into an excellent position for viewing the 

 whole top of the liay ; every bird was easily seen against the wet 

 mud. So I kept watch with the uaked eye until some disturb- 

 ance or unusual behaviour attracted attention ; then, being armed 

 with a telescope magnifying 30 diameters (for the loan of which 

 I have to thank my brother, Mr. N. T. Huxley), I focussed this 

 on the spot, and could see the minutest details of attitude and 

 behaviour in the nearer birds, and even in those on the far side 

 of the bay could quite well interpret wliat I saw. I made a 

 number of notes on the spot, and usually within twenty-foiu- 

 hours end)odied what I had seen the day before in a letter to 

 an ornithological friend. 



* E. Sdous, "Olisorvatioiis toudino- to tlirow lidit on tlio Question of SL'xnal 

 Solectjoii in ninls," etc., I'avt I : Zoologist (1) x., I'JOii, jin. i:(tl--2U1. 



