10 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



ten flights before I left him, and from all indications 

 was ready to make as many more. 



"A week later a party of four of us made an excur- 

 sion into the cover to listen to my twilight musician, 

 and, though the wind was high and conditions seemed 

 somewhat unfavorable, we were treated to a very fine 

 exhibition of his powers. 



"This evening there were two birds present, and at 

 times we had both in the air together. Once there 

 came a sudden whistling of wings, and we saw one bird 

 chase the other out of this territory. Pursuer and pur- 

 sued were very plainly visible as they darted and 

 twisted over the tops of the pines on the western bor- 

 der of the cover. Presently one returned and resumed 

 the serenade. I wondered whether this performance 

 was a part of the courtship, or whether my little friend 

 .was driving an interloper away from his lady's case- 

 ment. If the latter was the case, no serious harm 

 seems to have resulted from the combat, if such it 

 was, since we heard what was probably the intruder 

 performing a little distance away a short time after. 



"One of my companions carefully timed several of 

 the flights. They ranged from forty-five to fifty-five 

 seconds in duration, divided approximately as follows : 

 first, a period of whistling, circling flight while the 

 bird mounted to his proper height anywhere between 

 sixty and one hundred yards, as nearly as I could esti- 

 mate it in the uncertain light lasting about thirty-five 

 seconds; second, another period of short but somewhat 



