The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-01-03

rent. Flying to an overhanging limb
he finished making his toilet, huffing
his feathers until the usually concealed
downy white spots were distinctly visi-
BILE, and then carefully smoothing his
plumage, passing each wing feather
through his beak, until all were ar
ranged to his liking.
Satisfied with his appearance and
filled with the soft warmth of the day,
he was in the humor for feminine con-
quest. Perching on higher branch he,
began uttering soft calls, pausing after
each. with head cooked on one side and
bright eyes glistening to listen for an
answer. Presently the answer came
from the hillside above him, evidently
an encouraging reply, for he f1uttered
on the twig and called again with in
creased energy. Again came the an
swering call and he flew to the next
tree, a little further up the hill, nearer
to the spot whence the answer came.
BY shifting my position and with the
aid of a good glass I soon found the
bird that replied to the call of the first.
She was sitting on the low branch of a
haw tree, Sons twenty yards up the
hillside, and 1 could watch both birds
easily
Again the male called, and again, the
female answering, he flew little near
err as though fearing to. frightfn her
by precipitancy or wishing to pique her
| into attention by his seeming reluc-
tance. This little performance was re-
psated several times, the male moving
only a few feet after each call.
Suddenly new element entered upon
the action Of the piece; a nsw actor
came into the little comedy From
near the top of the hill there came a
third voice, a bold, confident call,
which at once attracted the attention
of the female She shifted about on
the branch, f1uttered here and there on
it. and turned toward the unseen actor.
/ The first male took up the challenge,
and his next caJ was louder and more
imperative than any before. The fe-
male turned her head to him and re-
| Piled as before. Then the second male
called again, and she answered him.
It was her reply that / found re-
markable, for she uttered call entire
| ly different from the one with which
she had been answering the first male
Not only did she give different eall in
her first answer to male number two
but she kept it up, varying her answers
to the calls of the two males. To male
number one she replied as she had at
4 first; to male number two she gave a
different call never mixing her replies
/ but pining one set Of notes to one OF
her admirers and another set to the
Hottie:
At first I doubted the testimony OF
my ears, and was inclined to think that
Il there must be fourth bird, which
had not seen or heard, but my doubts
4 were dispelled by close watch of the
i female. With my glass l could see dis
i tinctly the movement of her throat
4 when she called, and found that ii
was indeed one bird that gave the diff
i ferent notes. Whether or not shs rea-
soned that the same answer to both
4 males might prove discouraging to one
! of them, as woman sometimes rea-
sons that impartial favors discourage
nearer individual approach, while va
i rying attitude incites, it was impossi-
BILE to- tell; but, reasoning by analogy
IT seemed amusingly probable that the
I same reasons, or the same feminine In
| stinct. impelled her course o. action.
Be that as 1t may, it was certain that
the firt In feathers knew what she was
doing, and that she carefully differen-
tiated between the two males, giving
one answer to the first and another to
the second, the calls and asnwers al
ternating curiously, almost as though
1t were set performance.
z This continued until she had replied
five or sixtimes to each male. BY this
time the first male was close to the