104 GAME BIRDS. 



sion, which is instantly followed by a noise like the whetting of a 

 scythe, which ceases and commences alternately for about an hour- 

 and is then terminated by the same explosion. 



During the time this singular cry continues, the bird seems 

 entirely deaf and insensible of every danger. Whatever noise 

 may be made near him, or even though fired at, he still continues 

 his call, and this is the time that sportsmen generally take ta 

 shoot him. Upon all other occasions, he is the most timorous and 

 watchful bird in nature ; but now he seems entirely absorbed in 

 his instincts, and seldom leaves the place where he first begins to 

 feel the access of desire. 



This extraordinary cry, which is accompanied by the clapping 

 of the wings, is no sooner finished, than the female, hearing it, 

 replies, approaches, and places herself under the tree, from whence 

 the cock descends to visit her. The number of females that, on 

 this occasion, resort to his call, is uncertain ; but one male gene- 

 rally suflices for all. 



The length of this bird is about two feet eight or nine inches. 

 The bill is above two inches long, very strong ; the upper man- 

 dible much convex and hooked, the point hanging over the under 

 mandible very considerably when closed, as in birds of prey, and 

 projecting over the sides, not meeting at the edges as in most 

 birds, by which means it can cut its food like a pair of scissors $ 

 the colour yellowish, irides hazel. The nostrils are covered with 

 dusky feathers ; over the eye is a bare, red skin, and under the 

 eye a spot of white feathers; the head is dusky, a little dashed, 

 with ash-colour ; the feathers on the chin and throat are dusky, 

 black, and long; the neck dark, ash-coloured, finely speckled 

 with dusky ; the breast is a fine, dark, glossy green ; the rest of 

 the under parts black, with spots of white most about the thighs 

 and vent ; the wing coverts and scapulars chesnut- brown, finely 

 speckled with dusky ; at the junction of the wing to the body is a 

 little white ; greater quills, dusky ; secondaries like the coverts, 

 slightly tipped with white ; the lower part of the back, rump, and 

 upper tail coverts, ash-colour, marked with innumerable small, 

 undulated lines, and specks of black, the two outer rows of 

 feathers, covering the tail, are greatly longer than those in the 

 middle, and gradually lengthening, the under one reaching nearly 

 to the end of the tail ; these are seven or eight in number, lying 

 immediately over each other; their ends are white, making as 

 many white bars on each side ; the tail is considerably rounded, 

 consisting of eighteen black feathers, marked with a few spots of 

 white on the sides; the legs are covered with brown hair-like 



