I12 GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 
mandibles, he exhausts the air sacs and gives vent to the 
booming sound that rolls and echoes, like the tones from 
the great pipes of the organ, over the wide prairie. 
Where hundreds of males are so occupied in the stillness 
of the early day, before the sun has risen, and the shadows 
of departing night are being faintly dissipated by the rosy 
tints that herald his coming beams, the concert of varied 
sounds is very impressive, as the many different tones 
come from every direction, echoing through the air, and 
carried in strong booming notes for great distances over 
the prairie-land. Shortly after the sun has fairly risen the 
display ceases and the birds go about their daily avoca- 
tion, to commence the same exhibition again the next 
morning. Occasionally during the day, in places where 
the birds are not molested, or removed from the presence 
of human beings, the boom of some male may be 
heard at almost any hour, but no concerts are attempted 
save just at daybreak. These displays continue for a 
number of days, and toward the latter part of their court- 
ship the males are more anxious, and do not take as 
much care to avoid contact with each other as they did 
at first, and then desperate battles occur, the fighting 
cocks leaping into the air and tearing at each other with 
bills and claws and striking with their wings, until the 
weaker, utterly exhausted, flees away and leaves the field 
and, what is of much more importance doubtless in his 
eyes, the hens also, to the victor. 
These fair feathered creatures have lately shown much 
more interest in the antics and combats of the males, 
and move about them, quickly at times, or else remain 
motionless and watch them displaying themselves in all 
the pride of conscious power and beauty as they slowly 
move along, or when, in the midst of the deadly fray, the 
courageous birds strive for some particular sweetheart 
