BIRDS IN AUTHORITY 53 



and the cnlour of its pluma{2^c closely aliiccl to our 

 familiar bird of the moors atui pasture-lands, but a 

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

 on its winj^'s, and brij^ht red lej^s, and these touches of 

 colour, "angric 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 peewit, but has a greater 

 love of play, which it practises, botli 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 indulged in every day at intervals all the 

 year round. So fond of it are they that when the birds 

 are distributed 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 motion- 

 less, 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 stand abreast with slightly opened wings 



