EEED WARBLER 



that of the Blackcap when quietly reposing, back feathers being 

 raised, tail drooping, and breast feathers swollen out, giving 

 them a similarly rounded appearance. 



Owing to the density of the reeds, and consequently the 

 great difficulty in studying their habits, I do not think it likely 

 that I should ever have recognised any law of breeding terri- 

 tory, had I not previously known of its existence amongst so 

 many other species, but there is little doubt that this question 

 plays an important part in their life-history. Each male 

 locates himself in a particular part, and a comparatively small 

 part, of the reed bed, and inasmuch as reed beds suitable to 

 their needs are not very plentiful, the dimensions of their 

 territories are small. If it were not so the species would 

 rapidly decrease, so that they differ in this respect from those 

 migrants that inhabit many and varied situations. The 

 males adhere more or less to a certain territory, but it is 

 not easy to ascertain how far they struggle with one another 

 for possession, nor whether they regard with suspicion a 

 trespass on the part of one of their neighbours. Short but 

 angry battles are of frequent occurrence between them for 

 some weeks at this period. One hears the clicking of bills, 

 and then the birds appear momentarily above the tops of the 

 reeds, pecking at one another, and as quickly vanishing 

 amongst the reed stems, only to reappear further away as 

 they rapidly pursue and fight with each other. In one instance 

 I had an exceptional opportunity of watching the behaviour of 

 a male with regard to this question of territory. This par- 

 ticular bird owned a territory amongst some willows and 

 alders adjoining a reed bed, the headquarters of his domain 

 being a Salix bush overgrown with honeysuckle, and not more 

 than fifteen yards away on the edge of the main portion 

 of the reed bed was the territory of another pair. This latter 

 pair must have arrived some few days before the former bird, 

 because, when I commenced to watch the two territories on 

 May 22nd, they were already building their nest. Morning- 

 after morning this single male behaved in much the same 



