THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



piping note. This head-quivering would continue for several seconds, or even minutes, 

 and then, -stretching themselves up to their full heights, they would commence 

 hopping up and down on their perch, exchanging meanwhile their former plaintive 

 note for the hilarious warble previously described. This hopping-step, with both feet 

 at the same time raised clear of the perch, was performed with the most even rhythm, 

 while the grotesque aspect of the performers was frequently enhanced by their flexing 

 their tails at a stiff angle towards the right or left. Some slight idea of the attitudes 

 assumed by the finches in the course of the above-described performance is given 

 in the diagrammatic illustrations overleaf. In the first of these the preliminary 

 ceremonial of bowing and head-shivering is depicted, while in -the second one the 

 dance is in full swing. To add to the grotesqueness of the spectacle the favourite 

 object usually selected by the birds for their performance was, as delineated in the 

 illustration, the long-pointed beak of a stuffed Australian Gannet, which adorned the 

 top of a bookcase in the author's study. 



Considerable diversity is manifested in the dancing manoeuvres of these 

 Poephilse. While two male birds more frequently dance and sing together in the 

 manner just described, it sometimes happens that one of the two will maintain the 

 bowing and quivering action and piping note while the other dances and sings, or one 

 will continue piping to the other's dance, maintaining at the same time an attitude simply 

 of apparent fixed attention. Sometimes, but not so frequently, the writer has observed 

 a male and female bird take part in one of these performances. In such instances, 

 however, the female usually only participates to the extent of bowing, vibrating her 

 head, and piping. She does not dance and neither does she sing. 



It is only quite recently (May, 1896), that an instance has fallen under 

 observation in which a female bird has participated more extensively in the 

 terpsichorean exhibition. This female is of . the black-headed race, and has paired 

 with a male of the same colour. She customarily indulges several times a day in 

 this phenomenal pastime, and is not unfrequently the initiator of the sport. On these 

 occasions she will commence bowing and shivering her head to her mate, but only 

 for a brief period. So soon as he responds in like manner, she discontinues this 

 action and pipes only a single plaintive note at rhythmical intervals to his head 

 shaking. This may continue for several minutes, but as soon as he elevates his 

 head and begins to dance, she introduces a new element in the form of expanding 

 and vibrating her tail with extreme rapidity, and at the same time exchanging her 

 previous piping note for a diminutive clucking or croaking sound. The male bird 



