36 
PINNATED GEOUS. 
the bird is flying, lying along the neck in the manner repre- 
sented in one of the distant figures in the plate. But when these 
bags are inflated with air, in breeding time, they are equal in 
size and very much resemble in colour, a middle sized fully ripe 
orange. By means of this curious apparatus, which is very 
observable several hundred yards off, he is enabled to produce 
the extraordinary sound mentioned above, which, though it 
may easily be imitated, is yet difficult to describe by words. It 
consists of three notes, of the same tone, resembling those pro- 
duced by the Night Hawks in their rapid descent; each strongly 
accented, the last being twice as long as the others. When 
several are thus engaged, the ear is unable to distinguish the 
regularity of these triple notes, there being at such times one 
continued bumming, which is disagreeable and perplexing, from 
the impossibility of ascertaining from what distance or even 
quarter it proceeds. While uttering this the bird exhibits all 
the ostentatious gesticulations of a turkey-cock; erecting and 
fluttering his neck wings, wheeling and passing before the 
female, and close before his fellows, as in defiance. Now and 
then are heard some rapid cackling notes, not unlike that of 
a person tickled to excessive laughter; and in short one can 
scarcely listen to them without feeling disposed to laugh from 
sympathy.- These are uttered by the males while engaged in 
fight, on which occasion they leap up against each other, ex- 
actly in the manner of turkeys, seemingly with more malice 
than effect. This bumming continues from a little before day- 
break to eight or nine o’clock in the morning, when the parties 
separate to seek for food. 
Fresh ploughed fields, in the vicinity of their resorts, are 
sure to be visited by these birds every morning, and frequently 
also in the evening. On one of these I counted, at one time, 
seventeen males, most of whom were in the attitude repre- 
sented in the plate; making such a continued sound as I am 
persuaded might have been heard for more than a mile off. The 
people of the Barrens informed me, that when the weather 
became severe, with snow, they approach the barn and farm- 
