278 THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 



his scarlet tail, flaps his wings, and turns from side to 

 side as if he would express his joy in the possession of 

 such a voice. Again and again the song is repeated, 

 the bird only pausing to get breath." Brehm relates 

 of the whistling and the scarlet shrike : " The most 

 remarkable thing about these birds is undoubtedly the 

 use they make of their song, which is, properly speak- 

 ing, not a song at all, being but a single strain, sonorous 

 as few often repeated notes are, and common to the 

 two sexes. The call of the former consists of three, 

 rarely two, distinct sounds, pure as a bell and all with- 

 in the octave, beginning with a moderately high note, 

 followed by a deeper one, and concluding with one still 

 higher. These, like the piping of the scarlet shrike, 

 are peculiar to the male bird, but his mate answers 

 at once with an unmusical cackle or chick which is 

 difficult to imitate or describe. The female scarlet 

 shrike only begins her cackle when her mate has fin- 

 ished his call, but the whistling shrike usually joins 

 him on the second note, but both show a surprisingly 

 quick ear, and never keep him waiting. Sometimes she 

 cackles three or four or even six times before the male 

 joins in, but when he does so the whole performance 

 begins over and proceeds in regular form. Several ex- 

 periments have proved to me that the two sexes always 

 act together. I have killed now a male and now a fe- 

 male to make sure. "WTien either falls and is, of course, 

 silenced, the other anxiously repeats the call several 

 times." The Prince von Wied says: "The bell bird, 

 both by reason of its splendid white plumage and its 

 clear, loud voice, is one of the attractions of a Brazilian 

 forest, and is usually noticed at once by a stranger. 

 His cry resembles the tone of a very clear bell, sounded 

 once and then withheld for a long interval, or at times 



