. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . Anthony R. Kuser has most kindly put his splendid aviaries atBernardsvillu, New Jersey, at my disposal for scientific investigation, and here,for a month or more after our return, a male Curassow would go through thiswhole performance for the benefit of anyone who would watch him. Afterthe various stunts had been performed, he would fly at the feet of theobserver and, wrapping his wings about ones shoes, would peck savagelyat the shoestrings. From this and other indications I decide
. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . Anthony R. Kuser has most kindly put his splendid aviaries atBernardsvillu, New Jersey, at my disposal for scientific investigation, and here,for a month or more after our return, a male Curassow would go through thiswhole performance for the benefit of anyone who would watch him. Afterthe various stunts had been performed, he would fly at the feet of theobserver and, wrapping his wings about ones shoes, would peck savagelyat the shoestrings. From this and other indications I decided that the per-formance is more in the nature of a challenge than a courtship display. JUNGLE LIFE AT AREMU. 335 seem rather hit or miss, there being no regular sequence orsimilarity of the utterances. Several times these sounds areinterrupted by the bird stopping, appearing to pick upsomething, and then to dash its head violently against itsback, producing a low champing sound which seems toexcite the females, who otherwise are wholly as I may I can make nothing of this action, and later it. Second Phase of Curassow 137. Standing with Pebble in Eeak, striking the Head against the Back. is an indiscreet, impatient movement of mine at such ajuncture that ultimately frightens the birds and ends myobservations. I was delighted therefore when observing theCurassow in the north to see the bird repeatedly pick up peb-bles or a feather or twig and champ them in its bill just asthe wild bird did. The clicking sound resulted only when ahard object was picked up, but the dull thuds were madeby the skull of the bird striking violently against its dorsal 336 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. vertebrae, the object it had picked up being held meanwhilein its bill. (Fig. 137.) The wild Curassow soon drops whatever it has picked upand claps its wings together seven or eight times over itsback, making a loud slapping sound. It then turns its backon its rival in the tre
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