After a few weeks during November the male Cowbirds began to strut and "gobble." I use here the terms for the rooster and "gobbler" because his actions and notes were strikingly similar to these, particularly the latter. Such actions were continued for two or three weeks at a time when they would cease to reappear again some weeks later. In addition to this "gobble" which is very like the call of the Redwing Blackbird, only not so loud and clear, my male Cowbirds further expressed their good feeling by a series of notes, low, liquid and, indeed, very musical. It needs only to be heard to be appreciated and enjoyed. Especial emphasis is made of this matter of song for the reason that it has not been heard by many. The female has only the low rough call characteristic of all the Blackbirds.
This series (Series A) was begun on November 11, '06. The box was the same as that used in earlier work and described in my "Further Study, etc.," p. 257. The niche between the posts to the right of the door is designated as Place 1, the niche to the left as Place 2, niches 3 and 4 are on the left end, and niche 5 on the rear right corner. Throughout this paper the cords placed across each of these niches are referred to as string A, B, C, and D, string A being the first from the bottom.
In the first trial the female English Sparrow was successful, but only after thirty-one minutes and one hundred and thirty-nine efforts. These last statements are only in a small way indicative of the energy she expended. The "efforts" were simply those attempts which were sufficiently definite for me to count, and consisted chiefly in hops upon the left end and
_Fig_1.jpg) | |
| Fig. i | |
| A | B |
| The Cowbird looking for parasites on the perch and the female English Sparrow. | The female English Sparrow has resented the Cowbird's looking her over for parasites. The male English Sparrow is just alighting on the perch. |
