SEDGE-WAEBLEE 



The males, when they first arrive, select a certain spot of 

 not many square yards in extent, with a tall bush or willow 

 conveniently situated ; and, moreover, they not only choose a 

 tree but some particular branch on that tree, and this, until 

 the young are hatched, forms their headquarters. Before the 

 female arrives, and also, but not as much, when paired, they 

 sit on this particular branch and pour out their song, 

 frequently accompanying it with a pretty serial flight, rising 

 almost perpendicularly for a short distance in the air, turning- 

 very quickly and returning, with wings and tail outspread, 

 to the branch. After a short rest they either start their song 

 afresh, begin to preen their feathers, or go in search of food, 

 wandering over the branches of the various willows, examining 

 the under parts of the leaves for flies of the genus Chironomas, 

 and the twigs for aphides, working lower and lower down 

 through the branches and thick herbage till they reach the 

 ground, and here for a time they make their way in search of 

 aquatic insects and small spiders, only shortly to return to 

 their favourite branch, singing as they fly. Thus they while 

 away the days till the females arrive. The ground imme- 

 diately surrounding the tree they have chosen as their 

 headquarters they look upon as particularly their own, and 

 when two or three have chosen positions close to one another, 

 there they will be found to search for their food in certain 

 well-defined directions, being most careful not to poach on 

 one another's preserves, and consequently most jealous of any 

 intrusion on the part of their neighbours, and not, indeed, 

 only of their neighbours, but also — and this I have seen so 

 frequently as to place it beyond the bounds of chance — 

 of any other warbler, chasing them determinedly away, 

 while frequently — I have seen them pursuing Thrushes and 

 Hedge- Sparrows — ignoring the presence of other species so 

 far as to allow them to nest in their favourite tree. Such 

 powers of apparent discrimination seem very wonderful, 

 yet we must not forget our total ignorance of all things 

 pertaining to the sub-conscious state of animal life, and 



