TRIP UP RIVER WITH F. M. CHAPMAN. 
1892 
it 29 
Peculiar 
behavior 
of 
Agelaius 
Frank M. Chapman came on from New York last night 
and joined me this morning for a three days’ visit to Concord, 
Soon after he reached the Buttricks’ we started up river 
in my canoes, paddling against a strong wind and current, 
lie went up the Assabet as far as the hemlocks, where we 
heard and saw several Black-polls, a Wood Pewee, and a Sav¬ 
anna Sparrow (the last singing on the opposite side of the 
river), then kept on up the Sudbury River 
As we were passing Clam-Shell Hill, C. called my 
attention to a male Red-wing who was acting in a most sin¬ 
gular manner. With tail and wings spread, the wings beating 
or rather quivering, in a loose, nerveless manner much as 
if their motion was caused by the wind rather than by any 
muscular effort, the bird advanced very slowly, very slowly, 
up the hill side, uttering a continuous low chirping or 
cheeping like that of a young bird. His motion was even and 
regular and was probably caused by the use of his feet, al¬ 
though his body was so flattened on the smooth turf that 
it seemed impossible that the feet could be used at all. The 
effect was strikingly like that of some toy bird, drawn 
ff- slowly along by a string.^ Presently we discovered a female 
Red-wing in a cluster of dry grass towards which the male 
was moving. On reaching her the male circled around her 
within a few inches continuing his remarkable gait. He then, 
as I thought, tried to copulate with her when she started off 
at first fluttering along on the ground much in the manner 
