iS93.] RiKiAns 0)1 tlir Florida Bnrroxving Oivl. tf 



dcr to its nest arc interesting^ and ludicrous in the extreme. If 

 the pair liavc a full clutch of eggs, one parent is sure to be on 

 the mound or just within the entrance, as often the female as 

 the male. If the former, she makes far less demonstration than the 

 male, and general]}' slinks away to the long grass, or behind the 

 palmettoes, and peeps at you. If it be the male, he performs 

 the most elaborate tricks, and either comes to meet you or circles 

 about and alights on the level ground near the hole, frequently 

 uttering as he does so a hurried succession of sounds between a 

 chatter and a choke. In either case the sitting bird does not 

 leave the nest, and if dug out will light to the death though given 

 the chance to escape. 



If the birds aie nest-building or have not laid a full clutch of 

 eggs both of them are often found on the mound, sometimes, as 

 it were, wing-in-wing (I have seen them ])ow together), but 

 generally the female takes the traditional 'back seat' and the 

 doughty father demands the countersign and braves the onset 

 alone, while the weaker vessel makes good her retreat. In this 

 case, should there be one in the bm^row, the other utters a low 

 half-audiide cry which speedily brings its companion above 

 ground. 



When the burrow contains young you rarely surprise the 

 adults below ground. Out of ten nests examined which held 

 young of all ages I captured only one adult bird. This is owing 

 to the extreme solicitude of the parents and the voracity of the 

 brood which is always numerous. The anxiety of the old males 

 whose young are being threatened is so great that I have had 

 them strike my cap awry while digging, and in general the con- 

 duct of the females in comparison is shameful. On all occasions 

 a wounded bird would make for the nearest hole with all possible 

 speed and could not be dislodged without being dug out. 



The utmost harmony prevailed in this widely scattered com- 

 munity. Where four or five pairs were living close together the 

 males would combine their attacks upon me and the females 

 would retire together to some secluded spot and have a talk. On 

 one occasion an over-curious mother flew up from behind a bunch 

 of palmettoes, and alighting thereon took a comical sidelong 

 glance at me, but finding she was perceived returned to the 

 ground. On only one other occasion did I see them alight other- 

 wise than on the ground, although later in the afternoon I noticed 



