CHAPTER XIf. 
ANTICS AND ODOR AMONG THE BIRDS. 
Brrps are much given to antics, and seem at times to 
display a sense of humor. There is such a thing as play 
among birds, but nothing to compare with its extent 
among the mammals. Not ad/ are confined to charm- 
ing seasons and tactics. Jemale birds sometimes seem 
to display the most reckless sort of capers with each 
other when there is no Adonis to admire. But among 
the males it must be admitted that many of them pay 
their partners the poor compliment of acting as if he 
who made the biggest clown of himself was the most 
favored—a state of affairs found too often among 
other bipeds. 
Antics doubtless have their origin in an excess of 
energy usually accompanying youth or occasions of 
special vigor. In very young animals exercise is 
necessary to proper development of their muscles, 
and to the acquisition of skill in using them. Thus 
all young things may tend to play—especially if active 
in after life ; and the antics of adult birds is a sort of 
grown-up sport. 
Terns, crows, waxwings, and others have sorts of 
games with their food sometimes, and the gambols of 
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