28 THE CONDOR Vol. XIII forty years ago, that is to say with the neck folded over on the back. In the skin, however, the head was differently disposed, being placed on its side to save as much vertical space as possible in the cabinet drawer. The living bird would ordinarily remain in the attitude just described from half a second to a full second or perhaps two seconds but rarely longer than that. At the close of this brief period of inaction the head and neck would swing forward, usually less rapidly and abruptly than when carried backward, sometimes pausing for a moment when the mast-head posture might be taken, but, as a rule, continuing to move without decided halt until the normal position was resumed. Rather oftcrier than not this entire performance was unaccompanied by any sound that reached my ears, even when the birds were near at hand, but not infrequently thepaaap was heard. As nearly as I could ascertain it was given only when the head was raised above the back or shoulders and either moving slowly forward or fixed for an instant, perhaps in the mast-head position; but it was difficult to be sure about this, for allowance had to be made for the time required for sound to travel one or perhaps two hundred yards. It is possible, therefore, that the note was occasion- ally uttered when the occiput of the bird was still resting on its back or rump, but if so I failed to satisfy myself that such was ever the case. The best evidence as to the precise instant when the call was emitted was afforded, I thought, by the shower of water that the bird ,usually (but by no means invariably) kicked into the air when calling. As nearly as I was able to determine, this action either accom- panied or very closely followed the production of the vocal note. It may be how- ever that the interval between the two is longer than my observations have led me to suDpose. The Whistler drakes'often indulged in forms of gesturing or posturing more or less nearly akin to some of those already described yet different in certain re- spects. Thus they would sometimes take the bowsprit or topmast posture without becoming rigid in it or maintaining it for more than a fraction of a second. Fre- quently they would dip their bills in the water and then extend them as far for-. ward or upward as they could well reach, at the same time opening and closing their mandibles and quivering their throats as if swallowing rather violently. On closely approaching one another or one of the females they often bobbed their heads up and down two or three times in quick succession. This seemed to be a form of polite salutation, but it may have had a different meaning. During most of the more pronounced movements of the head, and not infrequently when it was held at rest, its feathers were alternately raised or fluffed and depresse d or flattened down, so that at one instant it looked almost twice and at the next barely one- half its usual size. This was probably done to show the plumage of the head to the best advantage2 At least I so concluded as I watched its greenish sheen flash and glimmer in the sunlight and then disappear, to blaze out again with renewed lustre a moment later. The changes in the adjustment of the feathers of the head resulted also in striking and very interesting variations in its apparent shape. When two or more males were showing off in the presence of the 'females they seemed to perform in a spirit of friendly, or, at least, dispassionate, rivalry. Not once during the entire morning did' I see one of them exhibit any trace of ani- mosity or unfriendliness towards another. There were no threatening or intimid- ating gestures and no apparent desire to interfere with one another in any way even when several males were grouped about a single female. Indeed they appeared to be almost wholly absorbed in their attentions to the females and to maintain to- wards one another an air of cool yet perfectly polite indifference or aloofness. This apparent absence of any sexual jealousy on their part struck me as being very re-
