NUPTIAL HABITS OF THE BLACKCOCK. 181 



bring out the angry " whush," or this jerk would be exaggerated 

 into a more or less high leap, which, again, would sometimes 

 pass into a short flight from one part of the arena to another. 



Besides the above-mentioned actions, one bird would often 

 run at another, sometimes for nearly the whole length of the 

 ground, or two would so meet, and then stand fronting, and 

 threatening to leap at, one another, which, however, they but 

 seldom did, nor was there anything that really deserved the 

 name of a conflict. Here, again, we have something very 

 different from the popular idea of these things, which supposes 

 continual violent conflicts between rival males met to court and 

 fight. Instead — here as with the Euffs — such conflicts are few 

 and far between, and, when they do take place, last but a very 

 short time — often not more than a few seconds. The birds seem 

 simply to lack the courage to fight. They come on with every 

 appearance of rage, then stop, face to face— almost always with 

 that peculiar note so different in sound and character— turn 

 about, stand with dilated feathers, and bent heads, side by side, 

 front one another again, make an abortive half-spring, think 

 better of it, and then separate, one or both returning from 

 whence they came. They do everything, in fact, but fight, but 

 in that they make a very tame and poor figure. Still, if they 

 actually do make a spar or so, it is with all the violence that 

 could be wished, but the flame that has leapt suddenly up expires 

 as suddenly. Now and again, indeed, there is a fight of some 

 twenty seconds or so — even perhaps a minute — and then it makes 

 a fine show. But, after all, what is it in itself compared to the 

 furies of Sparrows or Blackbirds, of a pair of Tits, or to those long 

 rancorous combats of the Eedshanks or Kentish Plover which 

 I have witnessed and described?* It is only because of their 

 size and bold plumage that it makes a superior effect. Dress 

 them in drab and reduce them by half or a quarter, and there 

 would be little to say of it. I am speaking, of course, to the 

 extent of my observations, but it seems strange that those made 

 in Sweden and here should so tally, if they do not represent the 

 general rule. In Norway, too, it must be remembered — I shall 

 never forget it myself — that the very bird that made such a 



* Cf. " Observations tending to throw Light on the Theory of Sexual 

 Selection " in ' Zoologist ' for June, 1906, &c. 



