222 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



of the birds, we could not distinguish them. We 

 crawled behind the nearest cover and remained mo- 

 tionless for perhaps ten minutes. At length the long 

 shadows from the descending sun enabled us to dis- 

 tinguish the birds as they crouched with head close 

 to the ground among the very scanty vegetation. After 

 another interval of motionless activity on our part, 

 one bird quickly arose and began feeding, apparently 

 without suspicion ; soon two more birds arose as if by 

 magic from the ground. Then began a most inter- 

 esting series of antics. These birds were joined by 

 five others, coming in singly and on foot from the 

 scrub in various directions. The birds came frequently 

 within forty paces of our hiding place, and in one 

 instance alighted on a small oak tree twenty-three paces 

 from our camera. While not near enough for suc- 

 cessful photographing, we were well situated for using 

 our field-glasses. The birds were all actively feeding 

 in the open field, apparently on grasshoppers and other 

 insects, but nipping red clover leaves very freely. They 

 moved leisurely about. Frequently two birds, some- 

 times as much as a hundred to a hundred and fifty 

 yards apart, ran directly toward each other, dancing 

 and blowing on the way, with the so-called 'neck wings' 

 pointed upward in a V form. On facing each other, 

 both squatted and remained motionless from one to 

 five minutes. We could see none of the nodding and 

 pecking motions of the head so commonly indulged in 

 by domestic fowls when fighting; rarely was there 

 sparring with the bill, or striking with the feet or 



