234 Life and Immortality. 



increases in power and rapidity,, until the swiftly-vibrating 

 wings appear only as a semi circular outline of mist above 

 the bird, thus giving rise to a sound which may be appro- 

 priately likened to the reverberations of distant, muttering 

 thunder. These sounds are most generally heard during the 

 cool hours of the morning, when his spirits are buoyant after 

 a night of refreshing slumber. But as the day advances, they 

 are less frequent, and irregular. So nicely can they be 

 imitated, that many a bird is drawn to his doom, when 

 advancing, as he supposed, to meet an antagonist. 



As the drumming is as often heard in the fall as in the 

 spring, it has long been a mooted question as to its signifi- 

 cancy as the call-note of the male during the period of 

 breeding. But there can be no doubt of the correctness of 

 this interpretation, for incontestable proof exists of it in the 

 responsive actions of the female. Nuttall is probably correct 

 in ascribing the autumnal exhibition of the power to self- 

 gratification, and in affirming it to be, in many instances, "an 

 instinctive expression of hilarity and vigor." 



Besides the peculiar drumming sound which the males 

 produce during the love-season, they give expression to 

 other vocal utterances no less remarkable. These are gener- 

 ally enunciated when about to arise from the ground, and 

 consist of two well-defined and characteristic notes. The 

 first may be described as a sort of cackle, repeated several 

 times in lively succession ; and the other, which closely 

 follows in its wake, as a peculiar lisping whistle, which has 

 not inaptly been compared to the cry of a young bird. These 

 notes doubtless play a considerable part in the reconciliation 

 and bringing together of the sexes after their temporary 



separation. 



While the courting-season lasts, it is not an uncommon 

 occurrence to find a single male in the midst of several 

 females before whom he is engaged in showing off his many 

 good qualities and graces, or two males displaying, upon the 

 same fallen log, the excellent beauties of their person and 



