A LABRADOR SPRING 



melts, to the lower grounds and prepare for the 

 nuptial season. About the loth of April they 

 may be heard croaking or barking on all sides. 

 A male selects a favourable tract of territory 

 for the location of the nest, and endeavours to 

 induce a female to resort to that place. He 

 usually selects the highest portion of the tract, 

 whence he launches into the air uttering a bark- 

 ing sound of nearly a dozen separate notes, 

 thence sails or flutters in a circle to alight at the 

 same place whence he started, or to alight on 

 another high place, from which he repeats 

 the act while flying to his former place. Imme- 

 diately on alighting, he utters a sound similar 

 to the Indian word chu-xwan (what is it?) and 

 repeats it several times, and in the course of 

 a few minutes again launches in the air." 



The second stage in the evolution of the 

 drumming performance is illustrated by the 

 Canada grouse or spruce partridge, who has 

 developed the wing music to such an extent 

 that he has given up the vocal music. The 

 wing music, however, appears to be still some- 

 what dependent on flight and has not advanced 

 to the stage seen in the ruffed grouse, where the 

 wing music has become a performance in itself 



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