THE PLAY OF ANIMALS 



very common among birds. Care must be taken 

 to distinguish sham fights from real fights, and it 

 may be admitted that among animals, just as among 

 boys, what begins in fun may readily pass into deadly 

 earnest. In a vivid description of the behaviour 

 of two young gluttons, Brehm says that nothing 

 could be more playful, they are almost never at 

 rest for a minute, they fight in fun all day, but every 

 now and then the note of earnest is struck. 



The sham fight is one of a large group of social 

 plays, of which the characteristic note is rivalry 

 rivalry, however, which has no serious reference 

 to any necessity of life. There is no doubt that 

 competition gives zest to animal games as well as 

 to those of man. It seems to be a pleasure to the 

 animal as to us " to be a cause " ; it is a greater 

 pleasure to be a better " cause " than some one 

 else. We see this in the races among lambs and 

 kids, wild horses and asses ; in the various forms of 

 " tig " and " follow my leader " in monkeys ; 

 and in other rival exhibitions of agility. Perhaps 

 some forms of dance and song should be included 

 here. 



To sum up : There are many play -instincts among 

 animals ; they have been wrought out in the course 

 of ages, partly as safety-valves for overflowing 

 energy and spirits, partly because movements 

 and feelings are naturally linked together, partly 

 as opportunities for trying novelties before too 

 stern criticism begins, but mainly as periods for 

 educating powers which are important in after-life. 

 Animals, Groos says, do not simply play because 



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