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37

Aramides cajauea, I

July 17, 1960        
Barro Colorado

I watched the birds again very briefly this afternoon. Still nothing much in the way of changes.

They still tend to give lots of PP when they are together in their cage. I noticed today that they tend to give particularly loud and somewhat more rapid PP whenever I walk by the cage. 
         
I ran some tests on 2 of the birds.

WH. Utters chirps when running away from me, even before I pick it up. Then remains quite silent when handled, even when struggling violently. Finally, utters 1 chirp after being handled for a couple of minutes.

Then I put it in the box. Immediately starts to utter a little PP. Then falls silent. Then does a little more PP. Falls silent again, and assumes an SC posture, when I look into the box. Then starts uttering P's again, when I go away. These P's are soft and undistinctive, definitely shorter than the PP notes. Finally, after at least 3 or 4 minutes, the bird begins to utter very soft but otherwise typical LC notes. Then assumes an SC posturei and utters undistinctive peeps when I look into the box again.

When I finally put my hand into the box, the bird immediately went down into an XC posture and uttered many loud AlP's.

Then I put it on the floor. It immediately ran a few feet away from me, silently. Then it stood for a few seconds, performing repeated ck Movements. Also silent. Most of the time it stood in an apparently unritualized posture, but every once in a while it would assume a more or less extreme SC for a few seconds, still continuing the ck. Then