1902.
June 1
five or six times at about these intervals when its
author would remain silent for a minute or more
before resuming it again. It usually began with a
short note very like the cac of Quiscalus (or as Roland
and Gilbert thought like that of a Red-wing) which
was immediately followed by a harsh, vibrating ki-ar-
r-r-r-r-r or a-a-a-a-a also suggestive of
one of the cries of the Crow Blackbird - the
husky, scolding one which this Blackbird gives oftenest
when its nesting haunts are invaded. There was no
close similarity in respect to this part of the cry, however,
but only as I have said a suggestion of resemblance.
The voice was much louder than that of any Blackbird
and also more penetrating. The cry lasted from 1/2
to 3/4 of a second (timed with a stop watch) and I
noted the following variations: -
  Ket-ket-ker-a-a-a-a-a (the a sounded as ah)
Ket-ket a-a-a-a-a (the a sounded as ah)
Ket a-a-a-a-a (the a sounded as ah)
Ke-a-a-a-a-a (the a sounded as ah)
Ar-a-a-a-a
Another "ornithological mystery"
  At distances within forty yards the ket was distinctly
as rendered above, from forty to sixty yards it
sounded more like cut, beyond the latter distance like
the cac of a Blackbird as already noted.
  The whole call when heard at forty of fifty yards
might be roughly rendered as cut-cut-ca-dah-r-
r-r-r suggesting, indeed, the cry of a hen who has just
laid an egg, with the terminal "cut" of the hen omitted.
  There can be little doubt that the author of these strange
cries was a bird, probably a Rail of Gallinule of some kind.
I also believe that I heard two different individuals yesterday.
3