Page:Territory in Bird Life by Henry Eliot Howard (London, John Murray edition).djvu/205

Rh in the earth's surface; and so the distribution of the bird population in any given area, though it may be suitably adjusted for one year or even for a period of years, is bound in the course of time to require readjustment. Now there cannot be readjustment without competition, nor competition without combat. But the appeal to physical force is only a means to an end, and, since no male can endure incessant warfare and the perpetual strain of always being on the alert, without experiencing such physical exhaustion as might affect his power of reproduction, its direct effect upon the combatants cannot be otherwise than harmful—in fact it is a necessary evil which for the good of the species must be kept strictly within bounds. Bearing in mind, then, these two facts, namely that the distribution of the males is never stable and that overmuch fighting may defeat the end in view, we can appreciate the importance of any factor which will lead to a more uniform distribution and at the same time insure security by peaceable means.

The proximate end of the male's behaviour is isolation—how is it to be obtained? If, after having occupied a territory, the bird were to remain silent, it would run the risk of being approached by rivals; if, on the other hand, it were merely to utter the recognition call of the species, it would but attract them. In neither case would the end in view be furthered, and isolation would solely depend upon alertness and the capacity to eject intruders. Supposing,