8 BULLETIN No. 34. 



from the newly constructed nest. She appeared entirely obliv- 

 ious to my presence although the trees were yet destitute of 

 foliaj^e, but appeared very restless, constantly shifting her posi- 

 tion from one tree to another a few yards at a time. Acting in 

 the manner of a very hungry fledgling just out of the nest, 

 with wings now drooping helplessly, now half extended, tail 

 opening and closing, falling and rising; head thrown back and 

 from side to side; accompanied by uncouth movements of the 

 body; almost constantly uttering a series of strange cries, be- 

 ginning soft and nasual but growing louder and faster after the 

 first two notes: Caw-caw-caw-caw-caw-caw-caiv-Ca-w-co-co- 

 co-co. The series of notes were often broken short, and f r(^m the 

 bodily contortions and cries of agonizing entreaty, one would 

 suppose that the bird was in the last struggles with death. This 

 continued with brief movements of silence f )r about llfteen 

 minutes, when I heard, some one hundred yards from the female 

 and directly in the rear of my place of observation, a deep yet 

 softly uttered cow-cow -cow-coiv from the male, whose presence 

 I had been in ignorance of up to the moment. The female con- 

 tinued her cries for about ten minutes, the male remaining quiet 

 the same period, wb.en a Ci.w-co'W-cow loud and full was an- 

 swered by the female as before, immediately after which they 

 both left their perches and flew as to a common center until a 

 few yards separated them when the female turned pursued by 

 the male in a zig-zag course below the tree tops; copulation hav- 

 ing taken place in midair, the female returned and recommenced 

 her cries but less frequently; the male haxing taken post at 

 some distance. I have since observed the above described per- 

 formance in otlier lc;calities, though it must be confessed a less 

 extravagant part was taken by the female, otherwise 1 would 

 be compelled to regard it as a caricat ire rather than a normal 

 trait, for I heard it again at 5.30 p. m. March 27th, 1898, and 

 again on May, 6th, 1899, in the identical wood in which the first 

 occurred. It was easily approached to within gunshot range, 

 fdding and spreading its wings, hopping or flying up one limb 

 to another and down again in an exceedingly frenzied manner, 

 uttering inarticukite cries similar to the voice of the young. 

 This female was easily recognized by me on account of the 



