284 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURXAL 



dance reminds one of similar perform- 

 ances by Indians. The bird bows or 

 leans forward with muscles tense and 

 rigid, lifting the feet stiffly but quickly 

 and striking them down hard and very 

 fast upon the ground, so that the sound 

 may be heard for rods. Sometimes he 

 stands in his place while dancing or 

 merely wheels a little to right or left. 

 Again he runs forward five ox ten feet, 

 or makes short rushes around the fe- 

 male in segments equaling about one 

 third of a circle, sometimes circling her 

 in three or four runs, but never seem- 

 ing to approach very near her. I have 

 never seen one caress or molest a fe- 

 male during these mating antics. How 

 the hap]\v pair perform when finally 

 mated no one seems to know. The 

 dancing is accelerated at the end until 

 it somewhat resembles the quick tap- 

 ping of a muffled drum, ending in a 

 roll. This rapid stamping causes the 

 whole body and especially the wings to 

 quiver in unison with the drumming 

 feet. The roll of the drumming can be 

 heard continuously as it mingles with 

 other sounds of the dance, but two 

 hundred yards away it is inaudible. 

 While dancing the male keeps the sacs 

 and the combs over his eyes more or 

 less distended, but in the "tooting" 

 which usually precedes or follows the 

 dance the sacs are fully inflated. They 

 swell with each toot or syllable and con- 

 tract more or less between each. I 

 watched four birds perform thus at dis- 

 tances varying from five to eight feet. 

 Audubon, experimenting with the 

 prairie chicken, found that the bird 

 could not produce the sound if the sacs 

 were punctured. Evidently it is emitted 

 in some wav during the intake of the 

 air. 



Sometimes a male seems to challenge 

 all creation by flying up a few feet, 

 cackling meanwhile, and turning to 

 different points of the compass so that 

 upon alighting he faces in another di- 

 rection from that in which he started. 

 Two males sometimes, after posturing. 



dancing, and blowing on the way, 

 charge toward each other for many 

 rods as if urged by the frenzy of battle, 

 and then squat on the ground facing 

 each other, open their beaks, and utter 

 a variety of cries, as if trying to intimi- 

 date each other or to muster up suf- 

 ficient courage to fight. Sometimes one 

 turns and runs away, or backs off, or 

 they may fly at each other like domestic 

 cocks, or one may leap over his oppo- 

 nent, or they nn^y even flutter up a few 

 feet in actual combat, but I never saw 

 blood spilled in any of these con- 

 tests. Often they strut, dance, and toot 

 without even offering to fight. Withal 

 there is great excitement, constant 

 sound and motion, each bird acting "as 

 the spirit moves," and performing his 

 part with ludicrous seriousness and 

 self-importance. In the midst of all 

 this commotion the females move about, 

 calm and cool, apparently interested 

 only in looking for something good to 

 eat. Indeed they seem so unconcerned 

 and indolent as to squat or lie down to 

 eat corn rather than take the trouble to 

 reach down and pick it up. 



As night comes on the birds become 

 more quiet and gradually steal away 

 into the shades. It is remarkable how 

 quickly and silently they can disappear 

 in case of an alarm. They can hide in 

 stubble where it would seem difficult to 

 conceal a mouse, but if flushed they fly 

 swiftly, fluttering and sailing much 

 after the manner of a meadow lark. In 

 this way they can quickly cover a mile. 

 A flock of fifty birds thus speeding 

 across country is an inspiring sight. 



The nest of the heath hen is made on 

 the ground, sometimes at the base of a 

 stump, often among sprouts or bushes. 

 From six to twelve or thirteen eggs are 

 laid, buff in color and unmarked. 

 When the downy young are hatched 

 they are ready to follow the mother 

 within a few hours, and she broods 

 them under her Avings wherever night 

 overtakes her. They frequent dry and 

 sandy plains and never have been seen 



