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AN OBSERVATIONAL DIARY on the NUPTIAL HABITS 

 of the BLACKCOCK (TKTRAO TETRIX) in 

 SCANDINAVIA and ENGLAND. 



By Edmund Selous. 



(Part I. Scandinavia.) 



(Continued from vol. xiii., p. 413.) 



April 20th. — Starting at 3 a.m., I must have reached the 

 place about 3.30 a.m. There are the usual early cries, and as 

 light begins slowly to struggle through the mists and shadows of 

 the arena I make out four birds through the glasses — "darkly." 

 A little later, one flies off, if indeed it is only that, for he seems 

 to rise straight up into the air, and I see the white tail, as if it 

 were spread. 



Now, just as daylight breaks clearly, there is the pause — no 

 bird on the arena — all, I think, must have flown off when that 

 one did; only a rookie, here and there, round about, and that not 

 near. This pause, or rather interval in the birds' activities, 

 after daybreak, seems an actual thing; but perhaps they are 

 then feeding. Then, as the sun begins to top the rocky ridge of 

 the low hill behind me, come rookies and " tchu-whais," so 

 suddenly, one would think there was really a connection. 

 Nothing more happens, however, no bird, since the semi-dark- 

 ness, has been down on the "moss," nor is now likely to, it 

 being past the time of gathering. It seems strange that there 

 should be this set-back, since yesterday, but, though a splendid 

 fine morning, passing into a cloudless day, it is still colder than 

 yesterday, so that this may account for it. The shooting, too, 

 which goes on all about in the early morning, in defiance of the 

 unenforced game laws, may have something to do with it. No 

 doubt I have come too early, and may have to leave before I 

 shall have seen much. Yet even the little I saw yesterday goes 

 far to show that the general principles governing the courtship 



