CHAPTER XIV 



Bird Courtship 



THE nesting of birds pre-supposes mating, 

 and of this we of necessity can know very 

 little. Whenever naturalists write largely 

 on the mating of birds, you may be sure they are 

 largely guessing. This function takes place soon 

 after migration; at that time the birds are enjoj^ing 

 the boundless freedom of all outdoors. Save in a 

 very few cases they have no lure to any particular 

 spot and so it is impossible to make accurate and 

 continuous observance of the same pair. They 

 are with us one moment, a mile away a few seconds 

 later, feeding here and there, singing snatches from 

 every inviting perch, making what look like irre- 

 sponsible dashes of flight wherever fancy leads them. 

 How can one tell which bird he is observing for 

 any length of time or what it is doing? 



There are times when we feel assured that certain 

 birds remain mated season after season, and return 

 every year to the same nesting location. As well 

 as I know anything that I can not prove, I know 

 this was the case with a pair of robins which homed 

 with us for several summers at the Cabin, south. 

 My neighbour was sure that for three seasons he 



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