BRITISH WARBLERS 



We shall probably be safe in assuming that the first 

 females arrive very shortly after the first males. And an 

 important point to be noticed with regard to the period of 

 sexual activity is that the emotion displayed is far more 

 intense than that which corresponds to it in the life of the 

 Eeed Warbler. This emotion results in motor reactions, which 

 appear to be considerably different from those of the latter 

 species, but, nevertheless, the difference is one of degree only. 

 It must further be noticed that the presence of the male may 

 evoke in the female a similarly intense sexual emotion, which 

 will result in motor reactions bearing some resemblance to 

 those of the male. Upon the arrival of a female the male 

 still makes use of his headquarters, though perhaps in a 

 lesser degree. Whenever able to tear himself away from 

 following in her wake, he returns to his special tree — the 

 favoured haunt of his bachelor life — and there sings or 

 preens his feathers. As a rule it is the male that follows 

 the female rather than the reverse. One catches glimpses of 

 her as she passes, close to the ground, through the bushes, 

 reeds, willows, or dense vegetation, and of him in close 

 attendance. Then for a time they disappear from view, and 

 there are long periods of silence, relieved only by an occa- 

 sional spasmodic outburst of song. The male will then, 

 perhaps, return to his headquarters, and, after singing there 

 for a time, go again in search of her. Upon discovering 

 her there may be some excitement, momentarily they seem 

 to fiy at one another, the male uttering a short warble during 

 the performance. This flying at one another may be better 

 described as a dance in mid-air, and is pretty to watch. 

 Sometimes he will sing as he flies in her direction, and often, 

 instead of the usually more or less rapid flight, makes use 

 of a slower flapping flight. During the outbursts of song, 

 which occasionally he seems unable to resist, he shows 

 whilst following her signs of evident excitement, jerking his 

 wings or even raising them considerably. In the latter case 

 the movement is altogether slower and not in the nature 



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