182 TEE ZOOLOGIST. 



prodigiously warlike display slunk quietly away, a poor tame 

 thing, on the entry of another male into the arena. 



It was some time, this morning, before I perceived first one, 

 and finally two hens, which were courted by the various cocks as 

 they passed over the ground, in the usual way. This led to 

 some furious rushes, and a spring or two, between bird and bird, 

 but even now there was nothing heroic. To the courting actions 

 which I have already described, another is now to be added — 

 which I also saw several times yesterday — the sinking down, 

 namely, of the male before the hen, and remaining so, for some 

 seconds, with wings slightly expanded and touching the ground 

 — the prostration, in fact, of the Ruff, but not so pronounced. 

 For the hens, they walked, warily, about amongst the males, 

 for the purpose, apparently — it is difficult to think of another 

 one — of being courted by them. From time to time one would 

 crouch before her admirer, but I only saw one case of actual 

 coition, and. it is significant that this took place in precisely the 

 same spot — behind the same tuft of grass— as it did yesterday ; 

 presumably, therefore, with the same male bird, since the latter, 

 on the whole, have their special places on the courting-ground. 

 Immediately afterwards two other cocks came rushing up in a 

 great state of excitement, and the three swelled and bustled about 

 together, but here, too, there was no actual fighting — not even a 

 blow or two. Soon after this the hens left, and the business of 

 the morning seemed over, perhaps damped by the perpetual, 

 sharp, pelting rain. Most of the cocks, too, soon flew off. I had 

 never been able to count more than six, at one time, on the 

 ground, but as, when I rose to go, four more flew up, there 

 must really, I suppose, have been a greater number — perhaps 

 eight — but not, I think, more than that, together. 



At 6 I met the keeper, by appointment, at the foot of the 

 hill, and went with him to be shown "a noted place" for the 

 assembling of Blackcocks, just off a long, lonely road over the 

 moors. It was another weary toil, almost all up hill as before — 

 (so that the cycle helps little except to come back) — and as far 

 again as I had come. Having got there I marked the place with 

 a small heap of stones, and purpose to come again to-morrow 

 before light, starting about 12. 



(To be continued.) 



