A LABRADOR SPRING 
Wings as they pour forth their love-song. This 
happens regularly in the case of such birds as 
the pipet, the horned-lark and the long-billed 
marsh wren, and less regularly in the song 
sparrow, oven bird, and Maryland yellow- 
throat. 
In these cases the slight music made by the 
rapid and forcible fluttering of the wings is 
wholly subordinate to the song. In the case 
of the ruffed grouse on the other hand, the 
music of the wings is everything, there is no 
vocal music and no locomotion, for the bird 
stands on a log and flutters its wings so rapidly 
that a loud whirring or ‘‘ drumming ”’ sound is 
made, by which the bird expresses, doubtless, 
the same emotions as are expressed by the fox 
sparrow with its wonderful song. 
Mr. William Brewster, in his description of 
a drumming grouse, says: ‘‘ Suddenly he paused 
and sitting down on his rump and tarsi, cross- 
wise on the log, . . . he stretched out his wings 
stiffly at nearly right angles with the body. . 
Now the wings were drawn slightly back, a 
quick stroke given forward, at the air, and a 
pulsating throb, entirely different from any 
sound I have ever heard, struck my ear, pro- 
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