198 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



Here, too, there used to be heard very often a curious booming sound, 

 as though the voice of some person at a distance had come strangely to your 

 ear, or as though a horn were being blown a mile or two away. 



If you had searched further into the matter, you would have found out 

 that the sound proceeded from a large bird, with two great bags of yellow 

 skin on each side of its neck, which sometimes hang in wrinkled folds, but 

 when he is making the noise of which we are speaking they arc full of air, and 

 swell out to the size of an orange. 



The sound consists of three notes, the last being twice as long as the 

 others. The male bird utters it to his mate, and as he docs so he struts about 

 and flutters his wings in the same way as the turkey cock does. And some- 

 times he makes a cackling noise that is quite laughable, and that is meant 

 to defy the other birds, his companions, who boom and cackle in return, and 

 often fight each other. 



And at this season the booming will keep on from daylight to about nine- 

 o'clock, when the birds leave off and disperse to find their breakfasts. 



We must give you a little description of the prairie hen before we gO' 

 any farther. 



It is, as you see, extremely handsome ; and on its neck are two little 

 wings, besides the larger ones, of a brown black colour. 



There is a small crest on the head, and over the eye is a comb of a. 

 beautiful orange colour, which the bird can set up or down as it likes. Its 

 chin is cream colour, and the upper parts are mottled with black, brown, and 

 white. Its feet are covered with hairy down to the toes. 



The mother bird is a much less size, and has not the extra pair of 

 wings, nor the yellow skin on the neck; nor has she the handsome comb 

 over the eye. 



We should tell you that the place where the male birds strut about and 

 boom and swell out the bags on their necks is called a scratching place, and 

 is well known to the Indian. He makes a little hut of pine branches, and 

 remains snugly hidden until the performance begins. First a low booming is 

 heard, and out steps a cock bird from the bush, and begins to strut about. 

 The boom is answered from another bush, and another cock comes forth and 

 swells his neck and sets up the wings on it like a ruff; the plumes of his- 

 tail expand like those of the turkey cock, and he eyes his fellow with anger 

 and disdain. Another, and then another, comes forward, and the whole part}- 



