THE PRAIRIE HEN. 145 



was that the bird was unable to toot any more. With 

 another tame bird he performed the same operation on 

 only one of the cells, and next morning the bird tooted 

 with the sound one, though not so loudly as before, but 

 could not inflate the one that had been punctured. 



"Wilson* says, the call " consists of three notes of the 

 same tone (resembling those produced by the night- 

 hawksf in their rapid descent), each strongly accented, 

 the last being twice as long as the others. When several 

 birds are thus engaged the ear is unable to distinguish 

 the regularity of these triple notes, there being, at such 

 times, one continued drumming, which is disagreeable 

 and perplexing from the impossibility of ascertaining 

 from what distance or even quarter it proceeds. While 

 uttering this, the bird lowers its head like the pigeon, 

 and exhibits all the gesticulations of a turkey-cock. 

 Fluttering his neck-wings, and erecting them so that 

 their usual position is reversed and they almost meet 

 over the head, he wheels and passes before the female, 

 and close before his fellows, as in defiance. This drum- 

 ming continues from a little before daybreak to eight or 

 nine in the morning, when the parties separate to seek 

 for food." 



The hen, which is rather smaller than the cock, has 



* American Ornithology. f Caprimulgus popetue. 



