BIRDS IN AUTHORITY 53 



crest, and the colour of its plumage closely allied to 

 our familiar bird of the moors and pasture-lands, but 

 a third bigger, with pink beak, crimson eyes, scarlet 

 spurs on its wings, and bright red legs, and these 

 touches of colour, "angrie and brave," give it a 

 strikingly bold appearance. Our green plover is like 

 a small weak copy of the Argentine bird. The voice 

 of the latter, too, is twice as loud, and its temper 

 more jealous and violent. In its habits it resembles 

 the pewit, but has a greater love of play, which it 

 practises, both when flying and on the ground. This 

 play on the ground, called by the natives the bird's 

 "dance," is performed by a set of three, and is in- 

 dulged in every day at intervals all the year round. 

 So fond of it are they that when the birds are dis- 

 tributed in pairs all over the plains, for some time 

 before and during the breeding season, one bird may 

 frequently be seen to leave his mate at home and 

 fly away to visit another pair in the neighbourhood. 

 These, instead of rising up with angry screams to 

 hunt him furiously away from their sacred ground 

 as they would any other bird, receive his visit with 

 manifest pleasure, and running to him where he 

 stands motionless, they place themselves behind him, 

 standing abreast, their plumage puffed out, and then 

 with loud, rhythmical, drumming notes uttered by 

 the pair, and loud single measured notes by the 

 leader, they begin a rapid march, stepping in time 

 to the music; then, when the march is ended the 

 leader as a rule lifts his wings and holds them erect, 

 still emitting loud notes, while the two behind, still 



