AN ESSAY ON BIRD-MIND 117 



it appears perpendicularly from the water, with a 

 slowish motion, slightly spiral, the beak and head 

 pressed down along the front of the neck. I com- 

 pared it in my notes of ten years ago with * the ghost 

 of a Penguin,' and that comparison is still the best I 

 can think of to give some idea of the strange un- 

 reality of its appearance. It then settles down upon 

 the water, and the pair indulge in one of their never- 

 failing bouts of head-shaking. 



Two mated birds rejoin each other after a few hours' 

 separation. Simple enough in itself — but what elab- 

 oration of detail, what piling on of little excitements, 

 what purveying of thrills ! 



Other emotions too can be well studied in this bird, 

 notably jealousy. Several times I have seen little 

 scenes like the following enacted. A pair is floating 

 idly side by side, necks drawn right down so that the 

 head rests on the centre of the back. One — generally, 

 I must admit, it has been the cock, but I think the hen 

 may do so too on occasion — rouses himself from the 

 pleasant lethargy, swims up to his mate, places himself 

 in front of her, and gives a definite, if repressed, shake 

 of the head. It is an obvious sign of his desire to 

 * have a bit of fun ' — to go through with one of those 

 bouts of display and head-shaking in which pleasur- 

 able emotion clearly reaches its highest level in the 

 birds' lives, as any one who has watched their habits 

 with any thoroughness would agree. It also acts, 

 by a simple extension of function, as an inforniative 



