FEED WARBLER 



solution. If we thoroughly understood the development of 

 the sexual organs and the influences exerted thereby, the 

 explanation of these activities might be less of a mystery 

 than it is at the present time. 



The unemotional behaviour of the male Eeed Warbler at 

 this period is, then, very striking. He follows the female closely 

 from place to place as she wanders about his territory, giving 

 expression to his feelings by occasionally bursting into song, 

 or by flying at and playing with her, fluttering amongst or 

 over the tops of the reeds, sometimes even pursuing her 

 rapidly. In the moments of extreme excitement he sings 

 rapidly, raising the feathers on his head and back, and loosely 

 fluffing out those on his breast and flanks while doing so. 

 He also spreads his tail, and slightly raises or rather jerks 

 his wings. Once only have I seen a male, previous to the 

 actual construction of the nest, carry, while following his 

 mate, some material in his bill, and in this instance he 

 appeared to be carrying some seeds of the bulrush. How 

 far the duration of the period of sexual activity varies in the 

 case of different individual pairs I am unable to say. But 

 it is not very probable that the species differs in this respect 

 from others. Judging from those instances which I have had 

 under my notice from the commencement of the breeding 

 season, this period would seem to be of short duration, for 

 the nest in one case was actually commenced the very 

 morning upon which the female arrived. Although the male 

 sings frequently when following the female, yet his song is 

 not so persistent as prior to her arrival. The male that had 

 his headquarters in the salix bush sang morning after morning 

 for a whole month until a female arrived, when he almost 

 deserted the bush and became comparatively silent. 



The nest, when built amongst the common reed, is sus- 

 pended from stems varying in number from three to seven, but 

 it is sometimes placed in a young alder tree (Alnus glutinosa) 

 not more than 5 ft. in height, or even amongst the branches of 

 willows. But this latter situation seems to be resorted to when 



41 



