its
wings and spread out its tail--in short, these two young birds were
behaving exactly as do the full-grown birds before pairing in the
spring. The young cock starling conducts itself precisely as if it
wished to pair. At the beginning of September, as soon as moulting is
completed, this bird returns to its birthplace, apparently in order to
take possession of the nest. It perches on the tree-top, just like the
full-grown bird in March, and sings almost for the whole morning. While
still perching, it flaps its wings, quarrels with and chases other young
starlings; sometimes it even creeps into the hollow tree or other
hiding-place containing the nest in which it was hatched. The yellow
wagtail sings while still in its youthful plumage, and the young birds
chase one another about while in this condition; during and immediately
after the first moulting, these birds produce peculiar trilling notes,
identical with those with which in April the cock bird salutes his mate,
and they may also be seen in the remarkable fluttering flight
characteristic of many birds in the pairing season. The grey wood wren
begins to sing before the first moulting, but sings more powerfully
during and after moulting, right on into the month of October, singing
like a full-grown bird. At the same time this bird twists the body from
side to side, and moves the tail to and fro; it quarrels also with birds
of its own species, and quarrels, too, with other birds, sometimes with
birds as much as four times its own size. In August and September young
mountain fowl and heath fowl utter love calls to each other, not,
indeed, so loudly as those of the adult birds, nor in association with
the characteristic movements of the body made by these latter in the
spring-time, but still unmistakable love calls.... According to Hudson,
many kinds of American woodpecker carry on a kind of duet, and they
practise this artistic performance from the very earliest youth. On
meeting, the male and female, standing close together, and facing each
other, utter their clear ringing concert, one emitting loud single
measured notes, while the notes of its fellow are rapid, rhythmical
triplets; their voices have a joyous character, and seem to accord, thus
producing a kind of harmony. This manner of singing is perhaps most
perfect in the oven-bird (_Furnarius_), and it is very curious that the
_young birds, when only partially fledged_, are constantly heard in the
nest or oven a