A HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION 225 



and, as far as 1 know, to ornithology. These two 

 same birds that I had startled pursued each other 

 about amidst the trees, for some time, uttering not 

 only their usual cry — unusually loud as I thought 

 — but another, of one note, quickly repeated, like 

 " too, too, too, too, too," changing, at the end, or 

 becoming modulated, into " too-i, too-i, too-i, 

 too-i, too-i." All at once two other ones flew out 

 from the enclosure, and, alighting together upon the 

 greensward, a curious play, which I took to be of a 

 nuptial character, commenced between them. They 

 both half extended the wings, at the same time 

 drooping them on to the ground, and standing thus, 

 fronting each other, they swung not only their heads, 

 but the upper part of their bodies, strenuously from 

 side to side, in a very excited manner. If there was 

 any upshot to this, I did not see it, as the birds 

 shifted a little so as to become hidden by a ridge, 

 and the next I saw of them was when they flew 

 away. A little while after this, I saw either the 

 same or another pair of green woodpeckers, pursuing 

 each other from tree to tree, and, all at once, they 

 closed together, in the air, as though in combat ; 

 almost immiediately, however, separating again and 

 flying to difl^erent trees. Soon they came down on to 

 the turf, and were probing it for ants, when one of 

 them, desisting from this occupation, went close up 

 to the other — they had been near before — and, again, 

 went through the action which I have just described. 

 Now, I saw that it was a hostile demonstration, but 

 the bird against whom it was directed seemed in no 

 hurry to respond to it, and merely went on feeding. 

 At length, however, he turned, and went through 



