78 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 69 



three individuals : four times in one, three times in another, and 

 once in a third. The three birds used the direct method, bringing 

 the foot forward and under the wing. Ficken and Ficken (1968, 

 p. 136) indicate that some Vermivora scratch directly and others 

 indirectly and that all species of Dendroica observed in the wild 

 scratched indirectly. 



TAIL SPREADING 



Tail spreading or fanning by a male may occur following terri- 

 torial boundary disputes with another male. This is usually done 

 by a male that invades another's territory and is driven out. I 

 once saw a male on territory fanning its tail while being pursued 

 slowly by a Redstart that had young in the territory. 



