WARBLERS 225 



this one as the victor and that one as the 

 vanquished. Success or failure probably depends 

 more upon the cumulative effect of many 

 combats entailing physical exhaustion, than 

 upon the issue of any one particular battle ; and 

 whilst observation might quite well fail to 

 distinguish any resultant change in the relative 

 positions of the birds, or any harmful effect 

 upon their constitutions, yet the area occupied 

 by this one might be sufficiently curtailed to 

 prejudice the welfare of the young, or the 

 vitality of that one might be seriously impaired 

 — and we should be none the wiser. 



Neither the Marsh- Warbler nor the Reed- 

 Warbler will tolerate strangers within the small 

 space of ground over which they exercise 

 dominion. Of the two, the Marsh- Warbler is 

 perhaps the more pugnacious, and will attack 

 any other Warbler that approaches too closely ; 

 Whitethroats are often pursued and driven 

 away, and less frequently, Garden- Warblers. 

 In one case, a male occupied the same ground 

 as a Sedge- Warbler, and there was a constant 

 feud between them ; a willow-tree formed its 

 headquarters, and this same tree seemed to be 

 the headquarters of the Sedge- Warbler, so that 

 they often met and whenever they did so they 

 quarrelled. As a rule the Marsh- Warbler was 

 the aggressor and had the mastery over its 

 opponent, and when it attacked, it uttered a 

 peculiar harsh scolding note, raised the feathers 

 on its back, spread out its wings, and betrayed 

 the usual symptoms of emotional excitement. 



