^ 0l 'l9li Ym ] Craig, Emotion in the Passenger Pigeon. 415 



"Sometimes with each kheck wings are raised to full extent and napped 

 once. Often bird is a little oblique on perch so that one wing-tip strikes 

 down in front of perch, the other behind; but sometimes bird is square 

 and both wings come down in front. 



"Have seen male give this wing-flap to female without a sound." 



"One gave a loud keck and flap of wings at a Turtle-Dove who was 

 bowing-and-cooing on a shelf two feet below him: the Turtle stopped his 

 bowing-and-cooing. 



"The Passenger did the same at a Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)." 



Scolding, Chattering, Clucking. These words are chosen to 

 represent the wide variations of this most characteristic and 

 frequent utterance of the Passenger Pigeon. Similar descriptive 

 words have been used by all who have attempted to treat the voice 

 of this species. Thus Audubon says (Orn. Biog., I, pp. 325, 326) : 

 "The common notes resemble the monosyllables hcc-kee-hce-hec." 

 Other writers, quoted by Mershon, speak of the sounds as " chatter- 

 ing" (pp. 51 and 166, 167), "twittering" (p. 84), "chirping" 

 (p. 85), "Tete! Tete! Tete!" (p. 138), and finally the "crowing call 

 of the wild pigeon" (p. 157). Wm. Brewster (quoted in Bendire, 

 p. 134) says: "They make a sound resembling the croaking of 

 wood-frogs." A vivid idea of the sound may be gained from the 

 following account by H. T. Blodgett (in Mershon, p. 120) : " Dur- 

 ing the spring and also the fall visit, flocks searching for feeding 

 ground could be called down from flight and induced to light on 

 trees near where the call was sounded. The call was one in imi- 

 tation of the pigeon's own call, given either as a peculiar throat 

 sound (liable to make the throat sore if too often repeated) or 

 with a silk band between two blocks of wood . . . .held between the 

 lips and teeth and blown like a blade of grass between the thumbs. 

 By biting or pressing with the teeth . . . .the tension upon the silk 

 band would be increased, raising the tone of the call or relaxing for a 

 lower note. Cleverly used, it was very successful in calling pigeons 

 feeding in small flocks to alight." 



This cry is used in a great diversity of circumstances, it is directed 

 both toward the mate and toward enemies, and in varying situa- 

 tions the utterance varies to an extreme degree. In expressing 

 high excitement it becomes loud and high-pitched, and in the 

 excitement of fighting especially it becomes very rapid. In a 

 gentle mood, it subsides into a soft, low-pitched adagio. Hence, 



