130 THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS 



head backwards till the point of the beak touches the 

 back, when the jaws are set rapidly clashing one against 

 another, producing a sound comparable to the " bones " 

 of negro minstrels, but without the varying rhythm. As 

 this performance is proceeding, the head and neck are 

 slowly moved through half a circle, till the tip of the beak 

 touches the ground, when the music ceases. As with the 

 wing-snapping just referred to, both sexes are equally 

 skilful performers ; but while they seem to indulge in such 

 exercises much more frequently, and with more vim 

 during the breeding season, they will break out after 

 this demonstrative fashion at all times of the year. But 

 why, then, the need for the yet more elaborate con- 

 trivances which are to be met with among the Snipe, 

 the Game-birds, and certain of the Passeres ? 



However, be this as it may, in a large number of species 

 a special mechanism has been evolved to produce sounds 

 which, as has been remarked, in other species arc no less 

 effectually made without that mechanism. 



One of the simplest of the cases is that furnished by 

 the remarkable " bleating " or " drumming " performances 

 of many species of Snipe, generally, if not only, when 

 sexually excited, and especially of the Common Snipe 

 (Gallinago cceUstis) during its love-flights. Mounting 

 to a great height, this bird, at such times, suddenly 

 turns, and descends with prodigious speed, meanwhile 

 holding the tail fully expanded. The outermost pair 

 of feathers are, however, specially modified so that, in 

 the first place, during this descent they stand at right 

 angles to the long axis of the body and well apart from 

 the rest of the tail-feathers. This alone, however, would 

 not produce these weird sounds, which owe their origin 

 to the fact that these particular feathers have their shafts 



