BIRDS IN AUTHORITY 55 



waiting. The two busy birds, still crying aloud, now 

 made their way to him, and placing themselves behind 

 him and observing all the attitudes and gestures used 

 in their "dances" or marches and giving the signal, 

 the three set off at a trot to the sound of drums and 

 the thirsty bird was run down to the water. He at 

 once went in to the depth of his knees and drank, 

 then squatting down, bathed his feathers, the whole 

 process lasting about half a minute. He would, no 

 doubt, have taken much longer over his refreshment 

 but for the two birds who had run him down to the 

 water, and who continued standing on the margin 

 emitting their loud authoritative cries. Coming out, 

 he was again received as at first, and trotted briskly 

 away with drumming sounds to a place with the 

 others. No sooner was this done than the two, 

 smoothing their feathers and changing their notes, 

 resumed their marching about among their fellows, 

 until another lapwing arrived, whereupon the whole 

 ceremony was gone through again. 



Without a doubt this performance had nothing 

 but play for a motive, the remarkable thing about it 

 was that it was made to fit so admirably into the 

 serious business which brought them together at that 

 spot. They came, one by one, from all over the 

 plain, at noon on a hot thirsty day, solely for re- 

 freshment, yet every bird on arrival instantly fell 

 into the humour of the moment and took his ap- 

 pointed part and place in the game. It struck me at 

 the time as a very strange thing, for well as I knew 

 the bird, I had never witnessed an act precisely like 



