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engaging habits. By the way, do not for a moment imagine that

he cannot sing! For, when dancing for very love before his

mate, his little head bobbing from side to side in his endeavour

to show her how much he admires her, his sweet, little voice is

heard to great advantage. Alas ! that anger and rage should

also make him sing; but true it is, nevertheless. Some weeks

ago I introduced five Golden-eyed Babblers into an aviary

already containing three of these birds. One of the new comers

was immediately surrounded by the three old tenants; who,

with glaring eyes and snapping beaks, caused him to assume a

defensive attitude by lying upon his back upon the floor, and

defending himself with feet and beak against his three assailants ;

they, meanwhile, singing and bobbing their heads from side to

side in the greatest excitement. I believe that each of the new

arrivals was “ initiated ” and put through his paces in the same

way; by roosting-time, however, peace—and I hope, joy—

reigned supreme ; for they were all to be seen sleeping quietly in

a row, as closely packed as the proverbial “ herrings in the

barrel! ”


All Babblers like society—I merely mean companionship,

not necessarily the “high society” into which some humans

(new word) are eternally striving to enter. Just as we have all

heard that there are some greedy little children who live to

eat, so the Yellow-eyed Babbler — and all other Babblers —

live to be tickled. Failing being tickled, there is only one

other recreation under the sun that will satisfy him ; that is to

tickle someone else. When these birds are not eating, drinking,

bathing or sleeping, they are unhappy if not engaged, either

actively or passively, in the art of tickling. The one who is

undergoing the operation of being tickled holds up his head,

closes his eyes, puffs out his throat, and turns first one side of

his head and then the other to the operator—just like a man

being shaved in a barber’s shop. Should the tickler cease

operations, the eyes of the tickled one are half-opened, to make

sure that the tickler has not quietly disappeared. A short time

ago, 1 put a Striated Babbler (.Argya carlii ) into the same aviary

in which the little Yellow-eyed Babblers were. Although many

times their size, he and they were soon engaged in their mutual

pastime. One little fellow, in order to reach the top of the head

of his big cousin, actually clung on to the wires of the aviary,

three or four inches above the level of the floor. If he had only

been born a biped, instead of having been hatched a Babbler,

we might have expected a display of his inventive genius !

This same Striated Babbler is a veritable ring-master ; in less



