io8 THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS 



completed his preparations, now approaches his partner 

 with a mincing gait, then halts before her and solemnly 

 utters a series of low grunts like " oak, oak, oak." Having 

 thereby declared his passion, and commonly without 

 gaining any answering response, he returns to his normal 

 shape again ! 



It is curious that a near relative of this bird, the Great 

 Australian Bustard {Eupodotis australis), also captures 

 the wind to declare his love ; but it is disposed of after 

 a quite different fashion, being drawn into the gullet, 

 though the precise m.anner in which it is manipulated 

 demands further investigation. The display Dr. Murie 

 described many years ago. It begins, he tells us, with a 

 swelling of the throat, while the head is thrown upwards. 

 Immediately after, the neck swells, and the feathers of 

 the lower part of the neck, set all on end, are carried 

 downwards, apparently surrounding a huge bag which 

 reaches nearly to the ground. During all this time the 

 head and neck are held rigid and point skywards, the head 

 surmounting a great feathery column. Meanwhile the 

 tail, as with the Great Bustard, is drawn forwards over 

 the back. In this peculiar attitude the bird struts about 

 in a stiff, waddling manner, the elongated neck-bag sway- 

 ing to and fro and the feathers of the throat standing out 

 in the shape of a great rounded swelling. The acme of 

 inspiratory effort completed, the bird begins to snap the 

 jaws together, producing loud noises, which are accom- 

 panied by a soft dove-like cooing. 



The Pectoral Sandpiper in like manner inflates its 

 gullet. But, unlike the Pigeon and the bird just described, 

 the neck is not markedly straightened, nor is the body 

 raised. As the air is drawn in, the gullet expands, till 

 it forms a great spherical drum. Then the excited per- 



