Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 1 of 9.djvu/57

 their ordinary lives appear almost commonplace. Listening during these few days at daybreak to the song of the males, it is quite possible to tell whether any females have arrived during the night; at such times it is intermittent, but very vigorous while it lasts—a pause, then a short trill, a longer pause and a longer trill, and so on, according to the time the male is able to tear himself away from the attractions of the female. She, meanwhile, walks or runs—as a rule it is more of a sedate walk—amongst the dense undergrowth, at times threading her way through the branches of some small bush, occasionally pecking, or pretending to peck, at something as she passes, with an air of complete indifference to the attractions of her lover, never even pausing to look behind. He, however, sometimes leaves her either to sing, or with quick darting flight to chase away another male, who, in his opinion, has approached too closely, or for a more lengthened period, possibly to annoy other males engaged in the same task as himself. But she is immediately aware of his desertion, and if too long away becomes impatient, stops her aimless wandering in the undergrowth, flies to a low branch in some bush, assumes an air of anxiety, and commences to call vigorously till he returns, using as her call-note a single "tic," sometimes the "tic tic tac." The positions assumed by the male when following her—sometimes he walks, sometimes runs along the branches or on the ground—are very beautiful. The tail is spread out and either raised or lowered, the wings fully extended and slowly flapping up and down, the feathers on the back and head are raised, those on the body thrown out, and the throat distended. The effect as he walks along some horizontal branch is very striking, and is enhanced by the curious habit, common amongst so many species, of carrying something in his bill, a piece of dead grass perhaps, but more frequently a dead leaf, and when two or three of the latter, stuck together, are picked up and carried for some distance the effect is striking and at first somewhat startling, giving one the impression