24 BULLETIN 162, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Mr. Saunders has three records of this call, which he describes in 

 his notes as a " repeated, slurred whistle, with usually an 1-like sound 

 between the notes, so it sounds like coolee." His records show ranges 

 in pitch from Atf to C", or from Bb to D*. 



In addition to these three very distinct and striking calls, there is 

 often heard a subdued, conversational chatter while the birds are 

 running and feeding. Doctor Judd (1905) heard, as a part of the 

 courtship performance, " a series of queer responsive ' caterwalings,' 

 more unbirdlike than those of the yellow-breasted chat, suggesting 

 now the call of a cat to its kittens, now the scolding of a caged gray 

 squirrel, now the alarm notes of a mother grouse, blended with the 

 strident cry of the guinea hen. As a finale sometimes came a loud 

 rasping noise, not unlike the effort of a broken- voiced whip-poor-will." 



Sandys (1904) says: 



A winged bird running, or an uninjured one running from under brush, 

 preparatory to taking wing, frequently voices a musical tick-tick-tick-a-voy. 

 A bird closely chased by a hawk emits a sharp cackling, expressive of extreme 

 terror. Quite frequently a bevy just before taking wing passes round a low, 

 purring note — presumably a warning to spring all together. When the hen is 

 calling to scattered young, she sometimes varies the cry to an abrupt Ko-lang, 

 after which she remains silent for some time. This the writer believes to be a 

 hint to the young to cease calling — that the danger still threatens, and is 

 prompted by her catching a glimpse of dog or man. A bevy travelling afoot 

 keeps up what may be termed a twittering conversation, and there is a low 

 alarm note, like a whispered imitation of the cry of a hen when a hawk appears. 



Stoddard (1931) describes the above-mentioned notes more elabo- 

 rately, with slightly different interpretations. He also describes 

 several others. The crowing or caterwauling note, a rasping call that 

 varies considerably, is uttered habitually by the cocks at all seasons. 

 He mentions several variations of the scatter call, used to bring 

 together scattered birds or as a morning awakening call, and says: 



One of the most interesting features of the " scatter " call and its variations 

 is that it evolves by imperceptible degrees from the shrill, piping " lost call " 

 of the baby chicks. This starts out with the newly hatched chicks as an 

 anxious piping hti-hii-hu-hu-ich-e-ivhc-icJw-whee-ioheee with rising inflection 

 like do-re-mi of the musical scale. 



Of the decoy ruse call, he writes : 



One of the strangest calls of bobwhites, and a very important one from the 

 standpoint of their preservation, is the fine cheeping p-s-i-e-u, p-s-i-e-u, p-s-i-e-u 

 call, uttered by adults and their baby chicks in unison as the brood is stumbled 

 upon by man or beast. This note, proceeding alike from both the frantic 

 parents as they beat about in the dust trying to lure the enemy away, and by 

 the fleeing chicks as they scatter and hide, proves most confusing to the senses, 

 and is a real quail " sleight of hand " that is apt to leave the confused disturber 

 in such a frame of mind that he questions whether he saw fleeing chicks, or 

 whether it was all just a trick of the eye. Deciding it was the latter, most 

 enemies pursue the seemingly wounded parents, which sail away on perfect 



