THE PLUME PIRATES 341 



menced to make a curious sound, something like 

 the neighing of a horse. 



Then began the most curious part of the dance, 

 which has given it the name of the "cake-walk.'* 

 The bird taking the lead, with wings balancing, 

 danced slowly round his partner, stepping slowly 

 with each foot held high, like a negro cake-walker, 

 a gait utterly unlike that of the bird at other 

 times. The partner turned slowly, still neighing. 

 This figure finished, the tv/o birds came together, 

 as though they would be ready to embrace each 

 other had they arms fitted to do so. Failing this, 

 both birds put their beaks up in the air, rising on 

 their toes — like ballet-dancers — puffing out their 

 breasts and uttering a raucous duet of long-drawn 

 groans. 



After a few days, Shan found out that he could 

 start the birds dancing at almost any time, by bow- 

 ing gravely to one of the birds. In all the time 

 that he was at Laysan and Lysianski Islands, Shan 

 never found a single occasion when, if he bowed to 

 a bird, it was not instantly responded to with the 

 utmost gravity and good will. He was thus able 

 to get a complete series of pictures with the 

 Biological Sui^vey apparatus. 



Feeling that it would be better to develop the 



