BASHFUL DRUMMERS. 221 



the sound by striking his wings together 

 over his back. He brought them up, even 

 for the first two or three times, with a quick 

 convulsive movement, and I could almost 

 have made oath that I heard the beat before 

 the wings fell. But fortunately, or unfor- 

 tunately, I waited till he drummed again ; 

 and now I was by no means so positive in 

 my conviction. If an observer wishes to 

 be absolutely sure of a thing, I have 

 learned this by long experience, let him 

 look at it once, and forever after shut his 

 eyes ! On the whole, I return to my pre- 

 vious opinion, that the sound is made by 

 the downward stroke, though whether 

 against the body or against the air, I will 

 not presume to say. 



A man who is a far better ornithologist 

 than I, and who has witnessed this perform- 

 ance under altogether more favorable con- 

 ditions than I was ever afforded, assures me 

 that his performer sat down ! My bird took 

 no such ridiculous position. So much, at 

 least, I am sure of. 



When he had drummed three times, my 

 partridge quit his boulder (I was near 

 enough to hear him strike the dry leaves), 



