BRITISH WARBLERS 



No. 3 territory and a considerable distance from the footpath. 

 The male at times was excitable, showing it in the usual 

 manner, but the principal feature was his conflicts with the 

 owner of No. 3 territory, the attacks coming first from one and 

 then from the other. On one occasion both birds were 

 hopping about the ground within a few feet of one another, and 

 when one retired the other did likewise. Upon examination I 

 found the outer part of the nest formed. The next morning 

 both sexes showed signs of excitement, flapping their wings in 

 the usual way ; the nest had been added to, but neither bird 

 approached it while I was present. On April 28th the female 

 was constructing a nest in an entirely different part of the 

 territory, and an examination of the first one revealed the fact 

 that nothing had been added thereto since the previous day. 

 The second nest was situated within a few feet of the footpath. 

 Throughout the morning of April 29th the female was busy 

 building, and considerable excitement was shown by both 

 sexes. After this date nothing unusual occurred until 

 May 7th ; there were then five eggs in the nest, and soon 

 after my arrival the male pursued the female and together 

 they fluttered about the ground, coition probably taking- 

 place. A third bird now entered the territory and followed 

 the female, who was excitable and kept flapping her wings. 

 The male forthwith flew at this new arrival and appeared to 

 drive it away, but later it returned, when again it seemed 

 to be attacked by the male. At this time I thought that 

 the intruder was the female from No. 1 territory; that it 

 was a female I had little doubt. On May 8th this third 

 bird again appeared, when the male, instead of attacking, 

 followed it flapping his wings in the usual manner; this 

 action on his part confirmed my opinion that the intruder was 

 a female. Upon the male thus following her she retired, but 

 presently returned and commenced to search for food close to 

 the first female. The latter bird seemed to resent her presence 

 and consequently flew at her, upon which she again retired. 

 In the evening the second female was again present. On the 



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