BIRDS OF KANSAS. 171 



low, booming note struck my ear and sent my thoughts back 

 to a spring morning in northern Illinois, and to the loud vi- 

 brating tones of the Prairie Chickens. Again the sound arose, 

 nearer and more distinct, and with an effort I brought myself 

 back to the reality of my position, and, resting upon one elbow, 

 listened. A few seconds passed, and again arose the note; a 

 moment later, and, gun in hand, I stood outside the tent. The 

 open flat extended away on all sides, with apparently not a liv- 

 ing creature near. Once again the note was repeated close by, 

 and a glance revealed its author. Standing in the thin grass 

 ten or fifteen yards from me, with its throat inflated until it was 

 as large as the rest of the bird, was a male A. onaculata. The 

 succeeding days afforded opportunity to observe the bird as it 

 uttered its singular notes, under a variety of situations, and at 

 various hours of the day or during the light Arctic night. The 

 note is deep, hollow and resonant, but at the same time liquid 

 and musical, and may be represented by a repetition of the syl- 

 lables, "Tob-u, tob-u, tob-u, tbb-u, tob-u, tbb-u, tbb-u, tbb-u," 

 Before the bird utters these notes it fills its esophagus with air 

 to such an extent that the breast and throat is inflated to twice, 

 or more, its natural size, and the great air sac thus formed gives 

 the peculiar resonant quality to the note. 



''The skin of the throat and breast becomes very flabby and 

 loose at this season, and its inner surface is covered with small 

 globular masses of fat. When not inflated, the skin loaded 

 with this extra weight, and with a slight serous suffusion which 

 is present, hangs down in a pendulous flap or fold exactly like 

 a dewlap, about an inch and a half wide. The aesophagus is 

 very loose and becomes remarkably soft and distensible, but is 

 easily ruptured in tliis state, as I found by dissection. In the 

 plate accompanying this report, the extent and character of this 

 inflation, unique at least among American waders, is shown. 

 The bird may frequently be seen running along the ground 

 close to the female, its enormous sac inflated, and its head drawn 

 back and the bill pointing directly forward, or, filled with spring- 

 time vigor, the bird flits with slow but energetic wing strokes 

 close along the ground, its head raised high over the shoulders 



