258 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XVI 
body. All the while he is furiously beating his wings, the noise being audible 
sixty yards distant. When he alights, usually about a foot from the female, he 
approaches her in short grotesque hops, with wings outspread. Sometimes 
after alighting he starts to approach her, then suddenly jumps into the air 
about three feet and flies rapidly around her in a circle about fourteen feet 
in diameter, flying with seemingly rigid wings, and making a loud whirring 
noise with them. If the birds are near a tree it is encircled by this flight. 
Fig. 74. Nest of Arizona Hooded Oriole containing two eggs of the Bronzed , 
COWBIRD and two OF THE ORIOLE 
One day I noticed two males eating watermelon. After they had had 
enough they approached each other, and one thrust his beak straight into the 
air. The other then began vibrating his wings, and went through the court- 
ship formula I have just described. When he alighted from the circular 
flight the other began fluttering wings, and duplicated the performance. This 
was done twice by each bird, and I judged they were either practicing or it 
