on the first day of April, 1896. He was on a ridge about a hundred 

 yards away, strutting and parading like a turkey cock, in plain view. As 

 I sneaked up within a few yards of him. he became more subdued, and 

 stood, for the most part, quietly in the grass, with his neck inflated like 

 a pouter pigeon's. One could see the volume of air, alternately increase 

 and diminish as he gave his muffled "Hoot, hoot, hoot, tu-hoot, tu-hoot." 

 This was not necessarily accompanied by any show of neck ornaments, 

 but when he became vehement, as when he spread his fan-shaped black 

 tail for a strut, the inflation of the throat increased to such an extent as 

 to disclose a considerable bare spot on each side of his neck, surrounded 

 by a large, white ring of feathers. This certainly made a stunning fea- 

 ture of the gallant's attire ; for nature has provided that the feathers im- 

 mediately about the bare spot shall have extensive white bases below the 

 sooty tips. Ordinarily the upper feathers completely conceal the bald 

 spot, of which the fellow is so vain, so that during excitement, a bril- 

 liant, white circlet of feathers some five inches across, flashes forth from 

 each side of the bird's neck, as the upper feathers are raised and re- 

 versed. When I tired of studying his vanity, I mocked his hoot repeat- 

 edly ; he lowered his head with some show of hostility, but did not 

 attack. 



While this was going on another cock was to bs heard at some distance 

 and his calls were apparently being answered by alow monosyllabic "(oof 

 of the hen. This cry was repeated at somewhat greater intervals than 

 those of the cock. Of course the hooting sound is made in the wind- 

 pipe, but the inflated throat acts as a sounding-board. The large, tri- 

 angular syrinx could be made to give forth a sound very much resembl- 

 ing the bird's efforts, by simply blowing at the proper intervals through 

 the entering windpipe, and placing the thumb and fore-finger partly over 

 the aperture. 



A set of eight eggs of this species was discovered on May 5th, by Mrs. 

 W. L. Dawson, and their situation is described as follows : The eggs 

 were deposited on the ground beneath a service-berry bush, which sprang 

 from a chance level spot on an otherwise sharp hillside. There had been 

 no apparent attempt at nest-building, as the eggs lay upon nothing but 

 the few fallen leaves of the bush, and these had not even been scratched 

 together. The only cover afforded the bird was the general protection 

 of the tall bush. The eggs were of characteristic type, except that they 

 were unusually small. Three specimens measured 1.72x1.28, 1.78x1.30 

 and 1.78 X 1.33. 



When the young are nearly full grown, the flock begins to retire slowly 



