STRANGE ‘CURE’ PERFORMANCE. 309 
and deeply-wished-for novelty? If you can, you 
will be able to imagine my childish pleasure when 
looking for the first time on a chicken-dance. 
There were about eighteen or twenty birds present 
on this occasion, and it was almost impossible to 
distinguish the males from the females, the 
plumage being so nearly alike; but [imagined the 
females were the passive ones. The four birds 
nearest to me were head to head, like gamecocks 
in fighting attitude—the neck-feathers ruffed up, 
the little sharp tail elevated straight on end, the 
wings dropped close to the ground, but keeping 
up by a rapid vibration a continued throbbing or 
drumming sound. 
They circled round and round each other in 
slow waltzing-time, always maintaining the same 
attitude, but never striking at or grappling with 
each other; then the pace increased, and one hotly 
pursued the other until he faced about, and ¢éte- 
a-téte went waltzing round again; then they did a 
sort of ‘Cure’ performance, jumping about two 
feet into the air until they were winded; and then 
they strutted about and ‘ struck an attitude,’ like 
an acrobat after a successful tumble. There were 
others marching about, with their tails and heads 
as high as they could stick them up, evidently 
domg the ‘heavy swell;’ others, again, did not 
