STRANGE ' CURE ' PERFORMANCE. 309 



and deeply-wished-for novelty ? If you can, you 

 will be able to imagine my childish pleasure when 

 looking for the first time on a chicken-dance. 

 There were about eighteen or twenty birds present 

 on this occasion, and it was almost impossible to 

 distinguish the males from the females, the 

 plumage being so nearly alike ; but I imagined the 

 females were the passive ones. The four birds 

 nearest to me were head to head, like gamecocks 

 in fighting attitude the neck-feathers ruffed up, 

 the little sharp tail elevated straight on end, the 

 wings dropped close to the ground, but keeping 

 up by a rapid vibration a continued throbbing or 

 drumming sound. 



They circled round and round each other in 

 slow waltzing-time, always maintaining the same 

 attitude, but never striking at or grappling with 

 each other ; then the pace increased, and one hotly 

 pursued the other until he faced about, and tete- 

 a-tete went waltzing round again ; then they did a 

 sort of ' Cure ' performance, jumping about two 

 feet into the air until they were winded ; and then 

 they strutted about and ' struck an attitude,' like 

 an acrobat after a successful tumble. There were 

 others marching about, with their tails and heads 

 as high as they could stick them up, evidently 

 doing the 'heavy swell;' others, again, did not 



