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 2( THE CONDOR Vol. XIII seem loud when uttered within fifty yards of me, yet I could hear it distinctly at four or five tines that distance when the air was still. It was sometimes doubled (paaap-paaap) and occasionally trebl.ed (paap-paa-paa). I suspected at first that these doubled and trebled notes were produced by two or three birds calling nearly together but on studying the sounds closely I found that their component parts or syllables were each shorter than the normal single call and otherwise slightly dlf- ferent. This led me to conclude that the compound notes were probably made by single birds. Negative evidence supporting this inference was furnished by the fact that whenever I was able to watch several drakes performing in company I noticed that they always called in orderly succession, at distinctly separate inter- vals, and that tlleir notes were of normal length and form. The intervals, how- ever, were ofteh very brief and when nine or ten birds were engaged at once their voices produced a volume of sound well nigh continuous and lasting perhaps for half a minute or more. This, softened by distance and coming over the glassy, sun-fit water from just where, it would have been difficult to determine had not its author been plainly visible, was by no means unpleasing in its general effect. But when the paaap was heard near at hand and critically regarded, it did not impress me so favorably. Indeed it is essentially unmusical and decidedly less attractive. in quality than the humming-top sound made by the wings in flight to which the Whistler owes its familiar name and which was much in evidence this morning whenever the birds were moving from place to place. They rose from the water with great apparent ease and almost as quickly as Black Duck, despite the absence of wind. When they alighted they often struck the water almost at full speed, just after closing their wings, sending the spray flashing up into the sunshine and ploughing furrows yards in length as they slid over the surface before losing the impetus of flight. Besides the bleat and the whistling of wings I heard them make no other sound. Just as the paaap was uttered--or perhaps a fraction of a second later--a slen- der shower or spurt of water, not unlike that emanating from au old-fashioned, metal garden syringe vigorously used, might often (but by no means in- variably) be seen rising immediately behind the bird to a height of one or two feet. Sometimes it was thrown almost straight upwards, but oftener, it followed a loug, elliptical or bow-shaped, backward curve, the heavier drops falling to the surface within a yard of the bird, the lighter ones striking two or three yards at its rear. This jet-like puff of mingled drops and spray was sometimes couspicuous at a dis- tance of fully a quarter of a mile. It was produced, without question, by a vigor- ous and obviously most dextrous upwardskick of the Vhistler's broad, webbed feet which, indeed, I saw plainly more than once, jerked out of water just as the last drops were ascending into the air. Vhen, as occasionally happened, the jet was doubled in volume, and also apparently somewhat divided at the base, I thought that the bird had made simultaneous use of both feet, but of this I' could not be sure for I never actually saw more than one of them. Owing to its force and direction the kick caused the hinder portions of the bird's body to sink perceptibly. in the water for an instant, after which these parts bobbed still more obviously upward before recovering the position usual to the floating or swimming bird. T/e crouc/[ul( poshtre. Thi was usually assumed directly from the normal swimming attitude and by an almost instantaneous movement, the head being thrust forward well above the surface, the neck deeply curved, the back somewhat humped. After remaining in this posture absolutely motionless for two or three seconds the Whistler would either resume its normal attitude or change to-- ]Ze wotttded dttc/t' posture. In this the bird would lie with head and ex-