Page:Which Sex Selects the Nesting Locality - William Henry Mousley - The Auk, 38(3) - P0321-p0328.pdf/7

Vol. XXXVIII 1921 able to see it, for beyond the spruce was an open space with no other trees in the immediate neighbourhood. In this case I think we may fairly assume the male had very little say in the matter, otherwise he would surely have selected the side of the spruce opposite his favourite apple tree, where he could see the nest and his mate whilst singing. However, this is one of those puzzling little problems of which the solution I suppose will never be forthcoming, but what we can reasonably be sure of, I trunk, is that the male in selecting that particular apple tree did really fix the general site of the nest, although apparently he had no controlling influence with regard to the exact spot in which it was eventually to rest.

Let us now look at a different case altogether, where the male I think neither fixes the approximate, nor yet the exact location of the nest. I refer to the Ruffed Grouse whose case we have already partly considered. Here I think we are treading on much firmer ground, and can almost assert that the male has nothing whatever to do with the construction of the nest, or even the selection of its general site, which latter I believe is usually far removed from his "drumming log," and is probably unknown to him. There the female hatches out her eggs, and afterwards attends and protects the young without any assistance from the male whatsoever. As regards the Red-winged Blackbirds and Bobolinks, I can only state that so far as my experience goes I have never seen the males of either species engaged in any nest building, nor have I been able to detect any behaviour on their part, which might be construed as assisting the females in selecting a suitable spot for the nest. This being so, I have come to the conclusion that the females of both species, being the constructors of the nests, are likewise the selectors of the exact spots for them to rest in, although these be it remembered have always been on the ground which the male birds had selected to congregate and sing upon long before the arrival of the females.

Of the sea birds I cannot speak with any great degree of confidence, for my opportunities of observing them in their breeding holes have been very limited, but from what I have gathered when visiting the great cliffs at Bempton near Flamborough Head on the east coast of England. I have come to the conclusion that probably much the same conditions exist as with the land birds.