BRITISH WARBLERS 
approached within a few feet of one, and have found that 
though quite alert and watching my movements closely, yet 
the relaxed feathers were not drawn close to the body, 
showing a complete absence of suspicion. At this time of 
year he is by no means an early riser; if, indeed, the morning 
is dull or cold he is decidedly late. 
For the ten days or so before the females arrive he is not 
as playful as later on, but seems to take life more seriously ; 
yet at times he is most excitable and evidently keeps his 
passions under control with some difficulty, for I have seen 
a male sitting on a branch, jerking his wings and uttering his 
courting note, although no female had at that time arrived. 
The first arrival of the females takes place from ten to 
fourteen days after the first male, the date varying in 
different seasons from April 5th to April 22nd. This, how- 
ever, does not imply that the migration of the males has 
ceased, but that, although the first arrivals are always males, 
the migration of the sexes overlaps. It is often the case that 
individual males are still arriving while the courtship is 
actually proceeding. The first males to arrive are by no 
means the most beautiful, as we might be led to expect, 
neither does the evidence point to any natural law, which 
would imply their adherence to any fixed rule in the order 
in which they migrate, such as the older birds, or the most 
healthy and therefore, perhaps, most beautiful, arriving first. 
I am almost inclined to say that the later arrivals on the 
whole have the richest plumage—in thus speaking I refer 
to all species of migrants—but the evidence is of a very con- 
flicting character. Take the case of any migrant, and I can 
recall seasons in which the earlier arrivals have been individuals 
in the most exquisite plumage, and seasons in which they 
have been immature, with plumage undeveloped. In some 
years I have even noticed brightly coloured males arriving 
after all the courtship was finished. This is why I speak 
of the evidence as conflicting, and in order to arrive at any 
definite decision a much more accurate knowledge of the 
details is imperative. 
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