BRITISH WARBLERS 



consequently of the bearing it may have on the unknown 

 connection between different individuals, or classes of 

 individuals, which, if known, would go far to explain such 

 incidents, and perhaps enable us to form a truer definition of 

 species than hitherto possible. 



The courtship commences directly the females arrive, about 

 ten days or so after the males; and as the females at this 

 period persist in skulking in the bottom of the thickest rushes 

 and undergrowth, it is most difficult to see what actually takes 

 place ; but the glimpses I have occasionally obtained tend to 

 make me look upon the males when in love as rather sober- 

 minded individuals ; although the females for their part insist 

 upon very close attention, and a somewhat servile attitude 

 on the part of their suitors. A male pursues the female with 

 drooping wings and erected head-feathers, uttering a rather 

 harsh call-note ; sometimes when quietly following he picks 

 up and carries a dead leaf. If another male approaches too 

 closely he pursues him with quick, vigorous flight. The 

 female all the time keeps up her gentle call-note, which 

 becomes more vigorous if her suitor, while pursuing another 

 male, is forgetful and leaves her too long alone. Sometimes 

 the two play together, flying at one another, the male 

 scolding; and again they will sit close beside one another, 

 an uninteresting couple, except when the male runs up and 

 down the branch sideways, as he frequently does, with 

 drooping wings and tail. 



The nest, placed low down amongst the thick tangled 

 undergrowth in the fork of a willow, or on the low branches of 

 a bramble, especially when the latter entwines amongst a thick 

 growth of Juncus effusus, is built up as follows : The founda- 

 tion is dead grass of various kinds mixed with small pieces of 

 dead thistle ; on this is a thick layer of the fluffy seeds of the 

 various species of Salix, bound together with fine dried grass, 

 the lining being usually of the latter substance only. The 

 female does most of the building, flying backwards and for- 

 wards to the Salix nigricans, carrying billfuls of the seeds, 



