110 FEATHERED GAME 



coming of darkness he begins his little play; 

 first, as one observer represents it, a gutteral 

 ' ' spneak ! spneak ! ' ' several times repeated and 

 the sound not unlike the note of a nighthawk; 

 with drooping wings and spreading tail he struts 

 like a turkey cock, and finally leaping into the 

 air on whistling wings he circles in ever-widen- 

 ing, higher-mounting spirals to perhaps a height 

 of fifty yards or more, and after flying about 

 high up in the gloom he pitches down in slanting, 

 darting flight, the music still sounding, to the 

 side of the mate he has left in the brush. 

 Again and again he repeats this until he tires 

 of his amusement or her ladyship commands his 

 attendance. 



Those of the young which I have had the op- 

 portunity of examining closely were killed by a 

 pointer puppy which had joined me for a Sun- 

 day stroll. These were of a light brownish 

 yellow color, with several dusky or dark brown 

 stripes — one from the bill to the eye; one on 

 top of the head down over the hind neck; a 

 spot behind the eye and another below it; the 

 back mottled with black and grayish buff; a 

 dark stripe on the rump. At this age when 

 scurrying over the leaves and through the grass 



