THE AUK:
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF
ORNITHOLOGY.
Which Sex Selects the Nesting Locality.[1]
by H. Mousley
A rough draft of this paper was prepared in July 1918, about the same time as that of 'The Singing Tree'[2] but was not offered for publication with the latter, as I was anxious to further consider the matter, and if possible gain some additional evidence in support of my theory, that it is the male in most cases who really selects or establishes the general nesting site, whilst the female no doubt, in the majority of cases, is responsible for selecting the exact spot or location of the nest on that site. Now this at first sight may seem contrary to all pre-conceived ideas on the subject, for I believe we have all come, in a hazy kind of way, to look upon the female as the principal actor in this site selecting business, whereas I would suggest that it is really the male who stands out as the dominant figure. Now in order to make my point clearer, I will ask you to consider for a moment what is meant by "the singing tree." Is it merely a figure of speech, or a fancy title to a paper,
- ↑ Read before the Nuttall Ornithological Club, March 7, 1921, by Dr. Chas. W. Townsend for the Author. The present paper was received for publication before the appearance of Mr. Howard's 'Territory in Bird Life' which was reviewed in the April 'Auk' and it is interesting to see how Mr. Mousley has independently evolved the same theory that is so fully set forth in that volume. As Mr. Mousley explains he had reached his conclusions at the time his paper on 'The Singing Tree' was written three years ago,—a paper which, as we have already mentioned seems to have escaped Mr. Howard's notice—Ed.
- ↑ 'Auk,' Vol. XXXVI, 1919, pp. 339-348.
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