BEATING OR DRUMMING OF THE PHEASANT. 185 



I have many times detected this bird by this peculiar 

 sound, and shot him, but it always required my greatest 

 skill of observance to distinguish his exact location, as this 

 rumbling sound in the woods and hills is very deceiving. 

 Toiling, I have often climbed to the top of a rugged moun- 

 tain, under the impression the sound came from that direc- 

 tion, all the while keeping a sharp lookout in the advance, 

 and proceeding cautiously with my tinger upon the trig- 

 ger of my gun, for, by the repeated thumping, I would 

 think I was close on the bird, but I have been too often 

 mistaken. After all my trouble, it would frequently turn 

 out, when I had thought I was right, that the rumbling 

 sound proceeded from the hill opposite the one I was on, 

 or some other neighboring locality. This beating or drum- 

 ming of the Cock Pheasant is a very singular manoeuvre, 

 and why this bird resorts to this peculiar performance, and 

 makes this sound, is left only for us to conjecture. Some 

 suppose that the male bird resorts to this means to draw 

 the hen to his presence; others suppose that this peculiar 

 noise is the male bird's only plan of drawing the hen from 

 her hiding place during the period of incubation ; others 

 suppose that this sound is produced by the bird when he 

 is in search of worms in a log. From my observation of 

 the beating or drumming of the Pheasant, I am compelled 

 to reject the reasons which have been assigned for it. I 

 am unable to attribute it to any special cause, and I have 

 concluded that it is altogether a natural habit for the bird 

 to perform this singular manoeuvre. I have shot Pheas- 

 ants, when they were beating or drumming, in all the 

 months of Autumn ; and I have heard them drum in the 

 night, and in all the months of the year, except when the 

 weather was cold, or when the ground was covered with 

 snow. The drumming by the male is frequently made on 

 a rock, stump, or stone, as well as on a log. The drum- 

 ming place of the male: This spot is situated in their 

 haunts — in places where they live. Around in the locali- 

 ties of these points, they may be found in all seasons of 

 the year. 



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