36 PINNATED GROUS. 



the bird is flying, lying along the neck in the manner repre- 

 sented in one of the distant figures in the plate. But when these 

 bags are inflated with air, in breeding time, they are equal in 

 size and very much resemble in colour, a middle sized fully ripe 

 orange. By means of this curious apparatus, which is very 

 observable several hundred yards off, he is enabled to produce 

 the extraordinary sound mentioned above, which, though it 

 may easily be imitated, is yet difficult to describe by words. It 

 consists of three notes, of the same tone, resembling those pro- 

 duced by the Night Hawks in their rapid descent; each strongly 

 accented, the last being twice as long as the others. When 

 several are thus engaged, the ear is unable to distinguish the 

 regularity of these triple notes, there being at such times one 

 continued bumming, which is disagreeable and perplexing, from 

 the impossibility of ascertaining from what distance or even 

 quarter it proceeds. While uttering this the bird exhibits all 

 the ostentatious gesticulations of a turkey-cock; erecting and 

 fluttering his neck wings, wheeling and passing before the 

 female, and close before his fellows, as in defiance. Now and 

 then are heard some rapid cackling notes, not unlike that of 

 a person tickled to excessive laughter; and in short one can 

 scarcely listen to them without feeling disposed to laugh from 

 sympathy. These are uttered by the males while engaged in 

 fight, on which occasion they leap up against each other, ex- 

 actly in the manner of turkeys, seemingly with more malice 

 than effect. This bumming continues from a little before day- 

 break to eight or nine o'clock in the morning, when the parties 

 separate to seek for food. 



Fresh ploughed fields, in the vicinity of their resorts, are 

 sure to be visited by these birds every morning, and frequently 

 also in the evening. On one of these I counted, at one time, 

 seventeen males, most of whom were in the attitude repre- 

 sented in the plate; making such a continued sound as I am 

 persuaded might have been heard for more than a mile off. The 

 people of the Barrens informed me, that when the weather 

 borame severe, with snow, they approach the barn and farm- 



