Witmer Stone

“ The Cuckoo's exact method of depositing her egg seems not to have been even yet positively ascertained. Mr. Chance construes his evidence as proving that an egg can be laid in eight seconds, the period that the bird under observation was actually on a nest and left and egg which was not there before, and he also claims that in other instances it can be retained for hours after the bird has become anxious to lay it. ”

“ The male, he goes on to show, cannot leave his "territory" without danger of its usurpation and as rapidity of mating is essential, some guidance to the female is necessary and here is where song comes in. Male birds rarely sing, especially with full vigor, until established in their "territory" and hence the fully developed song is always an advertisement of a male ready for mating. If singing began before the territory was selected the female would be attracted by a male not yet at the stage for mating, and reproduction would in such case be delayed. ”

“ While the "territory" theory is the dominant theme of Mr. Howard's book he has much to say on other topics more or less related to it. In connection with song he emphasizes the absolute necessity for a "specific" character in the song of every individual of a given species if it is to serve as a guide to the female of that species in finding a mate. ”

“ As birds of other species do nest close by and have "territories" of their own with different boundaries, we must naturally suppose that their food is of a different character. No doubt some of our economic ornithologists could furnish data of the greatest interest in this connection and demonstrate why certain species can live in close proximity without affecting each other's food supply. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1939, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 84 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”