25
Back Bay Basin,
Boston, Mass.
1909.
Feb. 27
(No 25)
Whistler courtship.
  When two or more males were showing off
in the presence  of the females they seemed to perform
in a spirit of friendly or at least dispassionate
rivalry. Not once during the entire morning did I
see one of them exhibit any trace of animosity or
unfriendliness towards another. There were no
threatening or intimidating gestures used and no apparent
desire to interfere with one another in any way, even
when several males were closely grouped about a 
single female. Indeed they appeared to be almost 
wholly absorbed in their attentions to the females
and to maintain towards one another an air of cool
yet perfectly polite indifference. This apparent absence
of any sexual jealousy on their part struck me
as being very remarkable. I wonder if it continues
to be absent later in the season when sexual intercourse
is near at hand.
Friendly rivalry of drakes
Absence of jealousy among rival drakes