COURTSHIPS OF LABRADOR BIRDS 



and not incidental to flight. Although we saw 

 a number of spruce partridges in various places 

 on the coast, and although we watched and 

 listened eagerly for their nuptial performance, 

 we were unsuccessful. Bendire quotes the 

 following description of the act: " After strut- 

 ting back and forth for a few minutes, the male 

 flew straight up, as high as the surrounding 

 trees, about 14 feet; here he remained station- 

 ary an instant, and while on suspended wing 

 did the drumming with the wings, resembling 

 distant thunder, meanwhile dropping down 

 slowly to the spot from where he started, to 

 repeat the same thing over and over again." 

 He also quotes another description of the drum- 

 ming as follows: ;< The Canada Grouse per- 

 forms its ' drumming ' upon the trunk of a 

 standing tree of rather small size, preferably one 

 that is inclined from the perpendicular, and in 

 the following manner: Commencing near the 

 base of the tree selected, the bird flutters up- 

 ward with somewhat slow progress, but rapidly 

 beating wings, which produce the drumming 

 sound. Having thus ascended 15 or 20 feet 

 it glides quietly on wing to the ground and 

 repeats the manoeuvre." 



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