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A visit to Brinsop Court.



separate cage the Motmot, very proud from having lately had his

wonderful racquets appreciatingly described in print.


The most noticeable birds at Brinsop—if only because the

biggest and the noisiest—are the Flamingoes and the Cranes. Two

species of flamingo are represented, the European and the Mexican.

It is not often that one has an opportunity of seeing a flamingo

swim, but one part of their pond is deep and the flamingoes often

cross in this way. They manage their long legs wonderfully well

when swimming, and make very good progress. If I remember

rightly they keep their necks still and do not move the head and

neck as a swimming heron does. They sleep so much in the day¬

time that they are very wide awake and talkative at night; when¬

ever you happen to wake up for a moment you hear the flamingoes

arguing.


The cranes are in paddocks—the Sarus, Native Companion and

Manchurian—but in a large meadow away from these a pair of White-

necked cranes were nesting. They had been at it for over a month

and nothing had happened, so the one egg was removed : it was addled.

It was very interesting to see the way the birds behaved while this

was being done. Both in turn pretended to be injured, though the

hen was perhaps the better actor of the two. She crouched on the

ground with wings "widely extended, and so went trailing through

the buttercups, hoping to lure us away. Going through these

manoeuvres the pair gradually withdrew to a greater distance while

the robbery was going on. They did not know the egg had been

taken, and were so overjoyed to see us leave the ground that

straightway they began a dance ; they drew themselves up to their

full height and then advanced by two stiff little dancing steps at a

time, calling all the while. So they came back, nearer and nearer

to the nest which they inspected closely. The poor hen thought

that though she could not see the egg it must be there, and that

she would be able to feel it, so she sat down on the nest. But it

was no good, no egg was there, so very soon she gave it up, and the

pair walked off’ and pretended to forget all about it.


One of the prettiest things at Brinsop Court are the House

martins. There are many nests (in spite of the robber sparrows)

and one row of them is low down under a roof near the front door.



