BEITISH WARBLERS 



— should have been interrupted in the case of many birds, 

 butterflies, and certain other insects, and replaced by one 

 that does not necessarily imply any greater capacity for 

 resistance on the part of the species in the inevitable struggle. 

 When we actually see, or even reflect upon, such animals as 

 stags or lions engaged in mortal combat, we cannot help being- 

 impressed with the grandeur of the scene, and, consequently, 

 we give to those encounters the attention they deserve. But 

 the conflicts between small and inconspicuous birds are apt 

 to escape our attention, and not have an equal share of 

 importance assigned to them. Yet of the two I know not 

 whether the conflicts in bird life are not more strenuous 

 and fierce, do not more often terminate fatally, and have not 

 in the past exercised a greater influence in their own particular 

 sphere. After witnessing these frequent struggles in bird life 

 I confess to feelings of some astonishment that so little regard 

 has been paid to them as a factor in the evolution of bird life. 

 It is also stated — and it is an assumption which is necessary 

 for the theory — that a female shows an active inclination 

 or disinclination for a particular male. Surely this is not 

 a very satisfactory explanation, for it shows signs of that 

 tendency, so fatal to a proper understanding of animal sub- 

 jective states, to resolve all their activities in terms of human 

 analogy. But we have already seen that amongst a number 

 of migratory species not only is there no evidence in favour of 

 this same predilection, but that there is considerable evidence 

 against it, for if a male gains a territory it gains a mate ; and 

 there is no reason to suppose that they differ in this respect 

 from other species, except that by virtue of the fact of the 

 males arriving before the females we are enabled to arrive at 

 a more accurate interpretation. And supposing that a 

 female were really attracted by one male more than by 

 another, then, in the natural course of events, cases of 

 possession of territory not leading to reproduction ought to 

 be of not uncommon occurrence, for so long as it does mean 

 reproduction, any special individual attractiveness to effect 



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