Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 2 of 9.djvu/30

 approached within a few feet of one, and have found that though quite alert and watching my movements closely, yet the relaxed feathers were not drawn close to the body, showing a complete absence of suspicion. At this time of year he is by no means an early riser; if, indeed, the morning is dull or cold he is decidedly late.

For the ten days or so before the females arrive he is not as playful as later on, but seems to take life more seriously; yet at times he is most excitable and evidently keeps his passions under control with some difficulty, for I have seen a male sitting on a branch, jerking his wings and uttering his courting note, although no female had at that time arrived.

The first arrival of the females takes place from ten to fourteen days after the first male, the date varying in different seasons from April 5th to April 22nd. This, however, does not imply that the migration of the males has ceased, but that, although the first arrivals are always males, the migration of the sexes overlaps. It is often the case that individual males are still arriving while the courtship is actually proceeding. The first males to arrive are by no means the most beautiful, as we might be led to expect, neither does the evidence point to any natural law, which would imply their adherence to any fixed rule in the order in which they migrate, such as the older birds, or the most healthy and therefore, perhaps, most beautiful, arriving first. I am almost inclined to say that the later arrivals on the whole have the richest plumage—in thus speaking I refer to all species of migrants—but the evidence is of a very conflicting character. Take the case of any migrant, and I can recall seasons in which the earlier arrivals have been individuals in the most exquisite plumage, and seasons in which they have been immature, with plumage undeveloped. In some years I have even noticed brightly coloured males arriving after all the courtship was finished. This is why I speak of the evidence as conflicting, and in order to arrive at any definite decision a much more accurate knowledge of the details is imperative.