"'1916 J Oldys, The Singing of Veeries. 17 



seconds and repeat the diving at frequent intervals.^ Suddenly a 

 male swims vigorously at another with flapping wings, making the 

 water boil, and soon each male is ardently courting. He spreads 

 and cocks his tail, puflFs out the feathers of his head and cheeks, 

 extends his bill straight out in front close to the water and every 

 now and then throws it back with a bob in a sort of reversed bow. 

 All the time he swims rapidly, and, whereas in feeding the group 

 were all swimming the same way in an orderly manner, the drakes 

 are now nervously swimming back and forth and in and out through 

 the crowd. Every now and then there is a commotion in the water 

 as one or more drakes dive with a splashing of water only to come 

 up again in pursuit or retreat. As the excitement grows a drake 

 flaps his wings frequently and then jumps from the water and 

 flies low with outstretched neck towards a duck who has listlessly 

 strayed from the group. He alights beside her precipitately, 

 sliding along on his tail, his breast and head elevated to their ut- 

 most extent and held erect. He bobs nervously. And so it goes. 



RHYTHMICAL SINGING OF VEERIES. 



BY HENRY OLDYS. 



In a recent article in 'The Independent' I made the following 

 statement : 



"Thrush songs are especially worthy of careful investigation, 

 because of their advanced character. Those of superior Olive- 

 backed, Hermit, and Wood Thrushes, disclose a rhythmical arrange- 

 ment very satisfying to the human ear; and from incomplete study 

 of the singing of the Veery, I am inclined to believe that the oboe 

 phrases of this member of the thrush family will, in some instances, 

 be found, on close attention, to show a similar arrangement." 



Since this article was published (20th July, 1914) I have been so 



1 A series of four dives timed with a stop watcli in the Back Bay Basin averaged 

 18 seconds, varying between 14 and 20 seconds. At Lynn Beach of four dives 

 three were 17 seconds, one, 15 seconds, in duration. 



