56 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



have less influence on the choice of the female bird, if, as I 

 .believe, she is not won by fighting, but by courting. In fact, with 

 such a resource as this, blows might, to a large extent, be dis- 

 pensed with, and, in the one case where I saw the thing in its 

 perfection, they certainly were. 



I thought, naturally, with these two birds down, and such a 

 morning as this — for it was fine and sunny — that more would 

 follow, and that I should see something of the sexual relations 

 of the species. However, " I was the more deceived," for no 

 other bird came down at all. These two continued to act as 

 described, at intervals, and also to rookie, but they got gradually 

 tamer, and did not again approach one another. About 7 a.m. 

 they flew off suddenly, just as had the whole assemblage, two 

 mornings ago, though here, again, I do not think anything had 

 disturbed them. Perhaps, therefore, it may be natural for the 

 meetings to break up in this abrupt manner. 



The above was the last observation on the nuptial habits of 

 the Blackcock which I was able to make whilst in Sweden. 



(To be continued.) 



