WHITETHROAT 
to have been decided upon by the female, for she remained 
some considerable time in or about this place before the nest 
was commenced. It will also be noticed that she in no way 
helped to construct the first two nests, but only the third one ; 
nevertheless, as I have previously mentioned, it sometimes 
happens that a nest built by the male prior to the arrival of 
the female is ultimately utilised for incubation. 
The female is at all times less obtrusive than the male, 
and this is especially the case on her first arrival. Creeping 
about in the thickest part of the hedgerow, or low down 
amongst the undergrowth, she travels in one direction, 
momentarily appearing in the bare spaces, or on the outside 
of the hedge, but as rapidly disappearing, only to appear again 
a little further along as she flits to the opposite hedge. She 
never goes far distant, but keeps working her way back to 
her original starting-point. The male follows closely in her 
wake except during his fits of excitement, which are numerous 
and very intense. So intense does this excitement become 
that the bird seems almost to lose control of itself, and the 
actions consequently give one the impression of a creature 
demented. Such frenzied action, as a result of great 
excitement, is by no means uncommon in bird-life. 
The attitudes assumed by birds during the period of sexual 
activity are as a rule very beautiful, but there are exceptions, 
and in some instances they can only be described as ludicrous. 
Such an one is the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio). 
When perched upon a branch beside the female, he raises 
his tail, lowers his body, bends his neck downwards, and his 
bill upwards in a comical, almost imploring, manner. The 
male Whitethroat is another instance, and his attitudes, 
especially when he precipitates himself on to the female, are 
somewhat difficult to describe. It would be doing him an 
injustice to say that they are wholly devoid of beauty; but 
they are at least peculiar, except during his aerial dance and 
his more sober moments when he ig quietly following the 
female, and then they are full of beauty. 
13 
