Io AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
ten flights before I left him, and from all indications 
was ready to make as many more. 
“A week later a party of four of us made an excur- 
sion into the cover to listen to my twilight musician, 
and, though the wind was high and conditions seemed 
somewhat unfavorable, we were treated to a very fine 
exhibition of his powers. 
“This evening there were two birds present, and at 
times we had both in the air together. Once there 
came a sudden whistling of wings, and we saw one bird 
chase the other out of this territory. Pursuer and pur- 
sued were very plainly visible as they darted and 
twisted over the tops of the pines on the western bor- 
der of the cover. Presently one returned and resumed 
the serenade. I wondered whether this performance 
was a part of the courtship, or whether my little friend 
was driving an interloper away from his lady’s case- 
ment. If the latter was the case, no serious harm 
seems to have resulted from the combat, if such it 
was, since we heard what was probably the intruder 
performing a little distance away a short time after. 
“One of my companions carefully timed several of 
the flights. They ranged from forty-five to fifty-five 
seconds in duration, divided approximately as follows: 
first, a period of whistling, circling flight while the 
bird mounted to his proper height—anywhere between 
sixty and one hundred yards, as nearly as I could esti- 
mate it in the uncertain light—lasting about thirty-five 
seconds; second, another period of short but somewhat 
