160 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



clinging very tightly to the perch, for otherwise the 

 bird would fall backward ; the wings are raised, fully 

 extended and widely separated from the body; and 

 the bird is seen to shake the whole body, at the same 

 time expanding the lovely ornamental feathers, the 

 uppermost and shortest of which are elevated the 

 most, their ends hanging over in a graceful manner. 

 At each side of the plume the brilliant shining 

 orange colour is seen extending to more than half 

 its length, and gracefully fading all round into the 

 pure white, in a most exquisite manner, a strip of 

 the richest red-brown, almost black in its depth of 

 colour, running through the orange colour to about 

 one quarter the length of the plume. During this 

 display, the wings make a slight flapping move- 

 ment, and the tail with its long bare shafts, is thrust 

 forward under the perch. While the birds are thus 

 showing themselves to the greatest advantage, they 

 suddenly commence jumping and turning about on 

 the perch in a very excited manner, uttering at the 

 same moment a series of screams louder and more 

 piercing than any of their ordinary notes." Thus 

 the elaborate toilette ends with a dance and song — 

 a real vaudeville performance! 



The sea-gulls and other salt-water birds occasion- 

 ally abandon their usual haunts to journey far in- 

 land to some fresh-water stream to cleanse and 



