













































FOREST AND STREAM. 
[AuG, 17, 1907. 


COUNTRY 
In foreground nest of 
heath hen, 
the way, with their neck tufts pointed upward in a 
V form. On facing each other, ‘both squatted 
and remained motionless from one to five 
minutes. We could see none of the nodding and 
pecking motions of the head so commonly in- 
dulged in by domestic fowls when fighting; 
rarely was there sparring with the bill or strik- 
ing with the feet and wings. In twelve or fifteen 
encounters. only three or four times did they 
strike thus, and only once did we see “feathers 
fly.” 
Most of the energy seems to be spent in 
posturing and blowing. Generally one of the 
combatants backed slowly away, suddenly stop- 
ping if the opponent advanced too rapidly. In 
all these fighting tactics the similarity of habits 
with those of the domestic fowl were very 
marked. From all directions came the peculiar 
“toot,” like distant tug boats in a fog, all hav- 
ing whistles of the same pitch. This call may be 
well imitated by blowing gently into the neck 
of a two-drachm homeceopathie vial. Each call 

INHABITED BY 
THE 
with 
HEATH HEN. 
complement of nine eggs. 
a period of two seconds, and is 
repeated at frequent intervals. It is prefaced by 
a run of about one yard, with very rapid, 
mincing steps. The tail is spread and the wings 
dropped after the manner of the strutting turkey 
When the tail is spread the white under 
extends over 
cock 
tail coverts are.conspicious and remind one 
‘orcibly of the “white flag’ of the deer and 
antelope or of our gray rabbit. The head is 
then depressed and the neck outstretched for- 
ward until it is about parallel with the surface 
of the ground; the neck tufts are elevated to a 
V shape. The bright, orange-colored air sacs 
on each side of the neck directly behind the 
tufts of feathers are slowly inflated until they 
reach apparently the size of a tennis ball, when 
they apear like two small ripe oranges, one pro- 
truding from either side of the neck. 
The duration of the call appears to closely 
caincide with the period of inflation, and seems 
to be emitted as the air enters the sac, rather 
than when the air is expelled. The collapse of 

the sac is sudden. The sound is ventriloquial, 
and it is very difficult to locate the direction 
or distance whence it comes, unless the bird 
can be seen. A second sort of call is much less 
frequent, and closely resembles a single syllable 
of the hoot of the barred owl. 
Another characteristic antic was a peculiar 
combination of a short run, a sudden jump of 
three to five feet into the air and a rapid unco- 
ordinated flop and scramble in the air, the bird 
usually alighting within ten or twenty feet of 
the starting point, but turning so as to face at 
least at right angles, or even in the opposite 
direction from which it started. When in the 
air it emits a peculiar cacophonous call or 
cackle, which when heard at a distance gives 
the impression of a Nearty burst of laughter. 
The ‘purpose of these semi-somersault-like 
maneuvers appeared to be to attract the at- 
tention of other birds, possibly even as a chal- 
lenge, for frequently they seemed to precede 
the somewhat pacific duels described above. 
The effect of these sounds, together with the 
“tooting” calls in the mists which so often obtain 
in their habitat before sunrise, is weird in the 
extreme. At 4:15 A. M. on May 2 these sounds 
were practically continuous, without appreciable 
interval, apparently from all directions. At 4:45 
A. M.-six birds could be counted, all in sight at 
once. They appeared to resort to a particular 
clear space of about two acres in extent, where 
the antics just described were carried on. All 
the birds except one were observed to have the 
orange-colored air sacs. These were probably 
cocks. We saw only one bird which we sus- 
pected might be a hen. The other hens were 
probably nesting, or at least had secured mates, 
and no longer resorted to the 
place. 
As the sun rose high the ‘“tooting’’ became 
less frequent; the birds became more restless, 
often flying to the neighboring low oaks,: rest- 
ing there until disturbed. The flight reminds 
one of that characteristic of the carrion crow 
or black vulture of the south (Catharista urubu) 
a succession of four to ten strong, rapid 
wing-beats, followed by a sail of one hundred 
to two hundred yards on set wings; this is re- 
peated until the bird again alights or passes 
beyond the range of vision. The line of flight 
is usually a straight line, twenty to twenty-five 
feet above the ground. Of our native birds, 
the manner of flight most resembles our marsh 
quail or meadow lark (Sturnella magna). 
The bird gives one the impression of admir- 
able adaptation to the open country—a large, 
muscular, hardy, vigorous bird, able to with- 
stand snow and sleet, in size equal or even ex- 
ceeding the’ ruffed grouse in weight. Inhabiting 
open fields and pastures, subsisting on insects, 
leaves, seeds and wild berries, in a country 
where the absence of foxes and raccoons reduce 
the numbers of its enemies practically to cats, 
men, skunks, field mice and rarely some species 
of hawks, the problem of maintaining and 
bringing back the bird to its former abundance 
seems practicable. According to our observa- 
tions during May, we estimate that the number 
of birds of this species now alive in the whole 
world does not exceed 80. We actually counted 
21 birds, none of which, we were reasonably 
certain, was counted twice. 


Spring Warblers. 
ENcLEwoop, N. J., July 20.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: In Forest AND STREAM for July 13 Mr. 
E. A. Samuels comments upon the scarcity of 
the Maryland yellowthroat, and asks if others 
have noticed the same. In this neighborhood 
they are plentiful, though, perhaps, a little less 
so this season than usual. On the other hand 
the hooded warbler, which, according to my ob- 
servation is usually rather common this year, is 
scarcely to be found. Some of those warblers, 
which are here only as migrants, were also 
scarce, notably the black-throated green warbler, 
generally one of the most common spring visitors. 
Black poll warblers were about till the middle 
of June. As a rule they leave very early in the. 
month. 
In fact, one could scarcely predict whether a 
species would be common or scarce, but all were 
late. Pe MicGe ls 





















promenading, 



