200 HIGHWATER MARK. 



season, when every morning he renews his song. 

 He usually commences just before sunrise, beginning 

 in a loud strain, which gradually sinks into a low 

 key, until he is quite entranced with his own melody : 

 he then droops his wings to the earth, and runs to 

 the distance of several feet, calling ' Cluck ! cluck ! 

 cluck ! ' during which time he is said to be incapable 

 of seeing, (so wrapt up is he in his own contempla- 

 tions,) and may be caught even with the hand, by 

 those who are near enough. As the fit lasts only for 

 a few moments, the sportsman must, if unready, wait 

 for the next occasion ; for, should he advance a step, 

 except when the bird is thus insensible, he will cer- 

 tainly be overheard, and the victim escape. The 

 man I began to speak of, being early one morning in 

 pursuit of the bird, heard his song at a short dis- 

 tance ; and, as soon as the clucking commenced, of 

 course advanced as rapidly as he could, and then 

 remained motionless till those particular notes again 

 sounded. It was quite dusk, the sun not having yet 

 risen ; but the song seemed to come from the centre 

 of an open space in the forest from which the sports- 

 man was just emerging. He could not see many 

 yards before him, and only followed the direction of 

 the sound. It so happened that, from another point, 

 but at no great distance, a bear was advancing on the 

 Tjader, just in the manner of, and with the same 

 steps asj the man. The hunter, while standing mo- 

 tionless, thought he perceived a dark object on one 

 side of him, but it did not much engage his attention; 



