130 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



" When ascending the mountain, the guide stopped suddenly, as a note like the rasps 

 of a saw was heard at some distance among the loose stones and ferns, and exclaimed, 

 'That is a wooil-hon.' He then imitated tin- note of the bird, ami the wood-hen 

 rciilied. lie again tried the imitation, but tlu- bird was silent. Anotht-r guide accom- 

 panjing us then struck the back of the tomahawk against a tree; again the bird 

 answered ; further strokes of the tomahawk were useless, no reply could be obtained. 

 Then a dog was made to bark, and with effect ; the call of the bird was again heard. 





Fig. G1. — Porphyria porphyria, purple-galUnuIe. 



and again and again as often as the sounds were made and varied. At each time it 

 was a|>]iareiit that the binl w.as ajiproaching nearer and nearer to our position, until 

 the bird ran out, a])parently quite confused and bewihUred, close to our feet. The 

 dog seized the bird and killed it, otherwise it might have been captured alive. It 

 appears th.at the noise made to attract the bird must be constantly varied, one con- 

 tinuous sound having no effect. No wonder that tiicy arc becoming scarce, and will, 

 no doubt, be soon extinct." 



