894 SONG 



back, wantonly precipitate themselves many yards towards the 

 ground, while the solemn Raven, does not scorn a similar feat, and, 

 with the tenderest of croaks, glides supinely alongside or in front 

 of his mate.-"^ 



Yet there are cases in which these gestures are not confined to 

 the males, but are shared by both sexes. Any one who has 

 watched a pair of Wild DuCKS of any species in spring can hardly 

 fail to have been entertained by their proceedings, in which the 

 most affectionate caresses are mingled with acts to all appearance 

 of violence, and these last are, as often as not, begun by the female. 

 The same may be said of Grebes, which like Ducks will swim in 

 circles -with the head, now raised aloft, now laid flat on the water. 

 Many of the movements are simultaneously performed by both 

 partners, others by each alternately, and solemn bows are exchanged 

 with ludicrous regularity. Suddenly a playful attack is made by 

 one bird on the other, and then all the spectator sees is a splash or 

 series of splashes in the water, while his ears are struck by the loud 

 and harsh cries of the actors in this display.- But there are other 

 birds in which gesticulations are carried much further, and it would 

 seem that Jacanas and some of the Rails join in festive dances 

 that can be only likened to balls, the performers becoming excited 

 almost to frenzy, and with loud cries and outstretched wings 

 rushing from side to side for several minutes. Still more strange 

 are said to be some of the actions of the Cayenne Lapwing, where 

 one bird of a pair leaving his own mate will pay a visit to a 

 neighbouring pair, by whom he is received with ceremonious 

 courtesy : the three form a procession, the stranger walking in 

 front and his hosts following — all keeping step and uttering 

 resonant drumming notes. Presently the march stops, the stranger 

 elevates his wings, and stands motionless, while the other two, 

 exactly abreast, halt behind him, drop their voice to a murmur, 

 touch the ground with the bill, as though making obeisance, and in 

 this posture remain for som'e time. Then the ceremony is over, 

 and the visitor retires to his own ground and mate, to receive 

 another visitor in exactly the same way.^ 



^ No comprehensive account of tlie Song of Birds seems ever to have been 

 written. The following may be cited among the principal treatises on the subject: — 

 Barrington, Phil. Trans. 1773, pp. 249-291 ; Kennedy, N. Ahlunull. haier. Akad. 

 (Phil. Abhaiidl.) 1797, p. 169 ; Blackwall, Mem. Lit. and Phil. Soc. Manch. 

 1824, pp. 289-323 ; Savart, [Froriep's) Notizen u. s. w. 1826, pp. 1-10, 20-25 ; 

 Brehm and Hansmann, Naumannia, 1855, pp. 54-59, 9G-101, 181-195, and 

 Journ. fur Orn. 1855, pp. 348-351, 1856, pp. 250-255. The notes of many of 

 our common birds are musically expressed by Mr. Harting, Birds of Middlesex 

 (London : 1866) ; and Prof. Paolucci, II Canto dcgli Uccelli (Milano: 1878). 



2 Cf. Stevenson and Southwell, B. Norf. iii. p. 239. 



' Cf. Mr. Hudson's interesting Naturalist in La Plata (chap. xix. ) whence are 



