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[[circle]] 154 [[/circle]]

[[underline]] modestus [[/underline]], Nov. 28, 1955, VI.

[[margin]] [[image - three triangles with red marks about]] [[/margin]] [[male symbol]] V - HF - V - T - V; [[female symbol]] V - HF - SS - V [[male symbol]] V; [[female symbol]] V - [[underline]] pointing [[/underline]] [[male symbol]] V - SS - pr - pr; [[female symbol]] nothing.

[[margin]] 3 vertical lines and vertical crosshatch pattern [[/margin]] Today is also dull for another reason. There seems to relatively less hostility between partners than on earlier days. What there is almost always develops into FB and/or cop. Also very little sign of pair-formation or early pairing.

[[margin]] 3 vertical lines and vertical crosshatch pattern [[/margin]] Much of the preening I have seen is certainly "ritualized" insofar as its occurrence has been selected for in the course of evolution. It is far too commonly associated with pairing to be coincidence in such circumstances. Sometimes interupts the display, but more often parks the temporary end of a bout (What does this suggest about its causation?). The preening I have been counting is hasty and/or unusually vigorous, (as compared with obviously autochthonous preening), but it is seldom, or never, as "nervous" as the most extreme "nervous preening" I have seen in some other species. Nor is it at all "ceremonial".

[[margin]] 3 vertical lines and vertical crosshatch pattern [[/margin]] Cannot overstress the conspicuousness of the "running together in M" shown by mates 9 times out of 10 when they become widely separated. Sometimes preceded by L.C. Usually ends, when the birds are side by side, in M + HF - V, and then whatever displays come next. This "running together in M," followed by M + HF, is occurring constantly throughout the colony at all times of the day.

[[margin]] [[image - rectangular box over male symbol]] vertical crosshatch line [[/margin]] √V - √SS - √SS - √V. √V. √O - [[underline]] √pointing + √T + √HF (one peculiar [[rotary?]] motion) [[/underline]] !! - √M - √HF - √M - √HF - √M - √HF - √M - √O - √HF - √M - [[underline]] attacks [[female symbol]] [[/underline]] - √V after attacks - √M - √T - √M - √HF - √M - √T - √M - √M - √HF - √V - √HF - √M - √HF - √M - √T - √M. √M - √SS - √SS - √M - √Gost √O - √HF - √V - √T - √M - √V - √pr - √pr.

[[margin]] 3 vertical lines and vertical crosshatch pattern [[/margin]] Included in the above count is an incident, presumably early pairing, in which both [[male symbol]] and [[female symbol]] did two complete LC's. By far the most L.C.'ing, in such a short space of time, that I have seen. Looked almost like hooded gulls. This L.C.'ing, in the case of the [[male symbol]], was alternated with M complex & appeasement gestures in general. But [[male symbol]] attached [[female symbol]] (in a very "guarded" fashion) eventually, and the [[female symbol]] retreated. [[male symbol]] followed her in M, but each time he got to her, she retreated some more. [[male symbol]] eventually gave up and went back to the place they started from, while [[female symbol]] remained at spot she had retreated to (at least 30 ft away). Both birds relax and begin to preen.