BRITISH WARBLERS 



behaviour of the male after the female has arrived I infer that 

 this question is of importance, since he confines himself more 

 or less to certain boundaries, and moreover possesses a head- 

 quarters, usually a prominent dead reed, to which he returns 

 after following the female, and from which he pours forth his 

 song. 



Before the arrival of the females the song of the males can 

 be heard in every direction throughout the day, though the 

 " trills " are longer and the song more persistent in the morn- 

 ing and the evening. Climbing up some dead reed and sitting- 

 near the top the male utters his peculiar note, turning his head 

 first in this direction and then in that, and thereby producing 

 a similar ventriloquistic effect to the song of the closely allied 

 Grasshopper Warbler. Perched thus on the top of some tall 

 reed he is a conspicuous figure early in the season before the 

 new reeds have attained to any considerable height, and where 

 the species is plentiful there is consequently little difficulty in 

 locating- the males and watching their movements. 



Upon the arrival of the females, excitement is consid- 

 erable, and a great deal of restless movement then takes 

 place. One can trace the quarrelling and pursuing, and 

 observe without difficulty the general excitement reflexes 

 inseparable from the behaviour of most species when the 

 sexual instinct is dominant. What the direct stimulus to all 

 this varied behaviour is I am unable to say without further 

 detailed observation, a short description therefore of the 

 behaviour of both sexes as it actually appeared to me must 

 suffice under the circumstances. 



The actions of both sexes during this period are very 

 beautiful, and in many respects interesting, but especially so 

 for the reason that they are identical with those of the Grass- 

 hopper Warbler at a corresponding period. The two species 

 are closely related, and we might reasonably expect to find a 

 similarity of behaviour, but it is a curious fact that identity of 

 structure does not necessarily imply identity of emotional 

 expression. The Chiff-chaff and Willow- Warbler, the Reed 



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