HUNTING WITH A MICROPHONE 



709 



"camp ephilus" was named in honor of the ivorybill 



To get to the nest, which was seven miles from an improved road in a forest 30 miles long and 

 18 miles wide, the partjf had to transfer all equipment to a farm wagon hauled by four mules. 

 The wagon became the sound laboratory and the camp was christened with the generic name of 

 the bird sought (page 706). 



keeping them from the chosen territory. 



The bull alligator lies at the surface of 

 the water, inflating the large air sacs on the 

 sides of his neck. He then submerges his 

 ponderous body, while the armored head 

 and tail protrude menacingly. Thereupon 

 he emits his thunder while the heavy plates 

 on his back seem to vibrate and cause the 

 water above to dance and shoot spray into 

 the air (page 710). 



It was now the last of April and another 

 message from Davison started us westward, 

 though we were loath to leave our genial 

 host and his marvelous bird sanctuary. 



When we reached western Oklahoma a 

 dull fog gradually obscured the landscape, 

 and as the wind whipped over the barren 

 fields and swirled across the road, we real- 

 ized that we were in the midst of a real 

 "Panhandle" dust storm. 



Furthermore, the storm continued with- 

 out much abatement for seven of the eight 

 days that we spent on the Davison Ranch 



near Arnett. It had scarcely rained for 

 three years and from fields that had once 

 been plowed the surface soil and the very 

 seed was blown into neighboring counties. 



The Davison Ranch itself, however, is 

 largely covered with tiny oaks which the 

 natives call "shinnery." Here in the dust- 

 covered shinnery we were to study the 

 lesser prairie chickens, photograph their 

 curious courtship antics, and record their 

 gobbling calls. 



The cattle eyed us curiously when we 

 first erected one of our observation blinds 

 near the home of a burrowing owl. This 

 blind was made of artificial grass mats, 

 greener than anything in that whole coun- 

 trv, greener than anything the heifers had 

 ever seen. Instinctively they came lumber- 

 ing in from all quarters to get a luscious 

 meal. 



The effect of habit on these same heifers 

 was even more amusing after their first se- 

 vere rain storm. The downpour not only 



