May, 1922 MISCELLANEOUS BIRD NOTES FROM MONTANA 73 
On May 31 as | left the train at Gerber, which is merely a junction poiut 
in the Missouri valley (elevation 3376 feet) at 4 P. M., during a slight drizzle, 
1 was welcomed by (to me) an unusual bird chorus, a vericable carnival of 
song. Western Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds (presumably Ayelatus ploent- 
ceus fortis), and Western Meadowlarks sang trom telegraph poles, the lence 
posts were capped by smging Western Vesper Sparrows and Song Sparrows, 
while all about the station in every direction, first here and then there, ofteu 
in a dozen places at once, Lark Buntings shot into the alr, usually trom the 
ground, as though propelled from guns, pouring out the most mtectious and 
passionate song, perhaps, sung by any bird in the United States. ‘l'his song 
is tar from simple and its opening alto notes give it a noticeable richness. 
Within one hundred teet ot the station on this occasion there were at least a 
hundred singing males, and with them there were, no doubt, a similar number 
of silent and inconspicuous temales teeding on the ground. If tue temales 
were impressed by the singing, or were even aware of it, their behavior did 
not indicate it. 
In one weedy field I counted twenty singing males. They sing while rest- 
ing on the ground, on weeds, or on fence posts, but commonly the song begms 
as a bird leaves the ground, moving directly upward at an angle of about 00" 
to a height of ten to thirty feet and occasionally higher. ‘he descent is slower, 
usually indirect and more gradual, the song culminating as the bird again 
comes to rest on the ground or on a fence post. The flight song appears not to 
ditter trom the perch song except in the matter of speed, the former being 
given more rapidly. Very trequently these tlghts, which are doubtiess court- 
ship performances, are accompanied by unusual wing motions. Sometimes the 
wings are set at the apex of the flight and are often upturned over the back 
in an acute V, after the habit of McCown Longspurs, with which the Lark 
buntings are often associated during such exhibitions, the wings being slowly 
lowered as they glide or float to the ground. At other times, in place of set- 
ting the wings, the birds fly downward, the wing strokes not being perfectly 
synchronized, giving the birds a rocking motion. This alternation of wing 
strokes, which is only practised during flight singing, is often at a maximum, 
namely, when one wing is at the top of its describing are and the other is at 
the bottom of its are. J. A. Allen (in Coues, Birds of the Northwest, p. 164) 
has apparently called attention to a phase of this phenomenon, describing it 
as a ‘‘peculiar flapping of the wings,’’ and Dr. Townsend (Auk, vol. 29, 1912, 
p. 286) points out that the Chimney Swift regularly flies in this manner, and 
that some very young birds (nestlings), crows and grackles being examples, 
swim by alternate wing strokes if placed in water. The explanation is given 
that this method of propulsion is primitive, and, according to evolutionary law, 
is still exhibited by very young birds of many species. 
IF. H. Allen (Auk, vol. 36, 1919, pp. 528-536) has advanced the theory that 
the ecstatic mating song is an elaborated older song, one which has been 
evolved from the perch song. Nevertheless flight songs often contain even 
more primitive sounds, such as call notes, and it is interesting to note that 
aiternate wing motion in birds, which is a survival of the alternate lez motion 
of their reptilian ancestors, is still occasionally practiced by Lark Buntings 
during their flight singing. 
The Lark Bunting’s song, in common with that of most birds, has been 
