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74

Rhamphocelus [[Ramphocelus]], Jun. 15, 1961, V            

the level of the back. This posture is absolutely identical with some Pre-cop Postures of the female. The male tends to assume such postures when he is far away from the female. They are not followed immediately by cop attempts. If the male does try to cop with the female after assuming such a posture, he always (I think) puts one wing up, asymmetrically, as he gets close to the female, before he actually mounts her. 

I shall call this asymmetrical raising of one wing "Wass" from now on.

The female sometimes assumes a Pre-cop Posture, briefly, when the male is not close to her and not displaying.

Things much quieter now, 7:30, only an occasional, brief unsuccessful cop attempt from time to time.

A copulation attempt accompanied by fast, rapid MCN, "Ta tah tah ta ta...." by one or both birds. Otherwise as usual. Obviously unsuccessful.

Both the male and the female frequently BW after both obviously unsuccessful and apparently successful cop. attempts. Aside from this, they seem to have no "real" post-cop display. The female usually just relaxes, more or less gradually, from her copulation posture (which is the same as her Pre-Cop Posture). The male flies away from her; sometimes assuming another Pre-Cop Posture (usually, but not always, fairly low intensity) as soon as he lands, sometimes landing in an unritualized posture.

It was noticeable that neither bird uttered ACN's or PCN's during the period when cop. attempts were most frequent this morning. Obviously adaptive. The silence of the birds during such periods is obviously the reason why I have not seen cops. in the wild. Now (7:45), when the birds are attempting to copulate less frequently, they do utter an occasional