112 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



pair place themselves behind it ; then all ' three, 

 keeping step, begin a rapid, uttering resonant 

 drumming note, in time with their movements ; 

 the notes of the pair behind being emitted in 

 a stream, like a drum-roll, while the leader utters 

 loud single notes at regular intervals. The 

 march ceases ; the leader elevates his wings and 

 stands erect and motionless, still uttering loud 

 notes; while the other two, with pufted-out 

 plumage and standing exactly abreast, stoop for- 

 ward and downward until the tips of their beaks 

 touch the ground, and sinking their rhythmical 

 voices to a murmur, remain for some time in this 

 posture. The performance is then over, and the 

 visitor goes back to his own ground and mate 

 to receive a visitor himself later on." 



The playing-grounds and gardens of some 

 birds are perhaps even more remarkable than 

 these instances of dancing. Those of the bower- 

 birds are the most remarkable and have been 

 graphicly described by Gould, the greatest of 

 authorities on Australian birds. 



One of the most remarkable is the bower of 

 the "Gardener" bower-bird. This, says Prof. 

 Newton, shows an ''' appreciation of beauty per- 

 haps unparalleled in the animal world." It 

 builds, to quote the same author, "at the foot 

 of a small tree a kind of hut or cabin . . . some 

 tAVO feet in height, roofed with orchid-stems that 

 slope to the ground, regularly radiating from 

 the central support, which is covered w^ith a 

 conical mass of moss, and sheltering a gallery 

 round it. One side of this hut is left open, 

 and in front of it is arranged a bed of verdant 



