COLIUSPASSER JACKSONI 57 
for a long time four cock-birds within forty yards of me; 
and, as the sun was within half an hour of setting and shining 
brightly at my back, I had a first-rate opportunity of noticing 
how they assumed their curious attitude, and succeeded in 
making a fairly accurate drawing of them. The actual 
position is as follows: The head is thrown back like that of 
a proud Turkey-cock, the beak being held horizontally. The 
feet hang downwards; the tail is held straight up till it 
touches the ruff at the base of the head and neck, the ends of 
the feathers falling in a curve downward, with the exception 
of two tail-feathers which are held outward and downward. 
While actually rising in the air the half-open wings are 
worked with a very quick shivering motion, and the feet are 
also moved up and down very rapidly. The bird springs 
straight up in the air, sometimes for a few inches and some- 
times to the height of two feet, and then drops. The whole 
of the plumage is much puffed out throughout the perform- 
ance, which is repeated five or six times, with a short interval 
for rest. The game would appear to be somewhat fatiguing, 
as the bird rarely makes more than five or six jumps at a time 
without a short rest. Only on one occasion was a female 
present on the playground. They very often assume their 
curious jumping attitude some little distance before they arrive 
at their playground. At night they roost in the tall reeds and 
rushes in the swampy hollows.” 
While at Machako’s Dr. Sydney Hinde remarked: “ The 
males of this species frequently form a playground in the long 
grass on the plains. The playground made by each bird is 
circular, about two feet in diameter; the grass is beaten quite 
flat inside the ring, except one tuft in the very centre. A 
flock of these birds playing has a curious effect, as they Jump 
about three feet in the air and drop down again into the circle, 
each bird jumping from five to ten times in a minute.” I may 
