2 COWARD, Note on the behaviour of a Blackbird. 



apparently distinct because immediately behind the 

 window, within the scullery, is a second window giving 

 li^ht to a china-closet. 



Each morning the blackbird flies on to the wall, then 

 uttering a chuckling challenge hurls itself across the 

 passage and strikes the window with a distinct thud. At 

 the impact it flutters down perhaps a foot, but speedily 

 regains its equilibrium and returns to the wall. It will 

 repeat the attacks every few seconds for several minutes, 

 and then fly off to some other part of the garden, as a 

 rule, however, returning for further fights several times 

 during the morning. 



Similar instances of birds, especially blackbirds, fight- 

 ing with their own images have been recorded. My 

 friend, Mr. C. B. Moffat, refers to the habit in his 

 interesting article on "The Spring Rivalry of Birds," 

 published in the Irish Naturalist* He quotes his 

 instances to prove the " violent objection cock birds have 

 in spring to the mere presence of other cock birds of 

 their own species in certain spots." He was particularly 

 fortunate in having two birds under observation at the 

 same time. For three springs in succession a blackbird 

 attacked one window of a house, and for two of these 

 springs a cock chaffinch battered himself against a 

 window on the opposite side of the house, and continued 

 doing this the spring after the blackbird had vanished. 

 He points out that neither blackbird nor chaffinch ever 

 attempted to fight with themselves in any other window 

 than the one first attacked, though presumably the 

 reflection was equally clear on either side of the house ; 

 the blackbird's nest, and consequently its sphere of 

 influence, was on one side and that of the chaffinch on 

 the other. 



* 1903. Pp. 155—157. 



