108 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



" dancing-parties " of these birds. He says : 

 " The birds had now commenced what the people 

 here call their 'sacaleli,' or dancing-parties, in 

 certain trees in the forest . . . which had an 

 immense head of spreading branches and large 

 but scattered leaves, giving a clear space for the 

 birds to play and exhibit their plumes. On one 

 of these trees a dozen or twenty full-plumaged 

 male birds assemble together, raise up their 

 wings, stretch out their necks, and elevate their 

 exquisite plumes, keeping them in a continual 

 vibration. . . . Between whiles they fly across 

 from branch to branch in great excitement, so 

 that the whole tree is filled with waving plumes 

 in every variety of attitude and motion . . . 

 the wings are raised vertically over the back, the 

 head is bent down and stretched out, and the 

 long plumes are raised up and expanded till they 

 form two magnificent golden fans striped with 

 deep red at the base, and fading off into the pale 

 brown tint of the finely divided and softly 

 waving points. The whole bird is then over- 

 shadowed by them, the crouching body, yellow 

 head, and emerald-green throat forming but the 

 foundation and setting to the golden glory which 

 waves above. When seen in this attitude, the 

 bird of paradise really deserves its name, and 

 must be ranked as one of the most beautiful 

 and most wonderful of living things." 



We might quote many another instance of the 

 display of brilliant or decorative plumage, but 

 space forbids. 



We must now pass on to consider dances and 

 playing-grounds. 



