Philohela minor . 
Carlisle, Mass. Song. 
1879. that of any of the true singing birds. I was also again re- 
April 8. minded of the boys's water whistle and the resemblance is cer- 
( No . 3 ) . tainly an obvious one. 
When within about thirty feet of the earth the song is 
» 
abruptly out short, and with the speed and directness of an 
arrow flight the performer glides down on set wings to near 
the starting place. Several times when he passed near us the 
rush of his wings was very audible. When he first alighted 
he stood for a moment in a stooping posture then made a short, 
gliding run, stopped and with a preliminary Pt-ur uttered his 
his singular cry. 
harsh pa-a -p . Then he ran a few steps more and again gave A 
After three or four runs he seemed to find a spot to his lin- 
ing and would then remain nearly motionless, bleating, however 
at intervals of about fifteen seconds, until he again took 
flight. Just before each cry his tail was jerked up with an 
automaton-1 ike motion, and as the sound followed his head was 
throat 
suddenly thrown bach and his^percept ibly swelled. Mr. Robb ins 
told me that he alighted regularly in nearly the same spot 
each evening. Mr.R. also thinks that this nightly song ceases 
as soon as the eggs are laid. He has never known it continued 
after the light has entirely faded from the western sky except 
on one occasion, a moonlight night, when it was protracted 
until nearly 9 P.M. With the first faint streaks of dawn it 
5 " 
