BIRD ACTORS AND THEATRES 225 



latter begins to realise that his harsh and hoarse 

 voice will not win for himself a mate, he then begins 

 to rehearse for his act! 



When the rehearsals are all over, and the per- 

 formance is perfected, he goes forth to seek her, 

 pouring out his passionate pleadings in a hundred 

 struttings and attitudes. He displays his lovely 

 plumage in a series of poses, as he challenges dan- 

 ger with his cries of defiance and gallantry. Some- 

 times he pleads in sobbing tones like the cuckoo. 

 This call, however, is not a song in the limited sense, 

 but is a pleading call for a mate, and is never ut- 

 tered except during the courting season. Guinea 

 fowls also have a call-note which is given only dur- 

 ing the mating season, while redbirds, or cardinals, 

 have a special courting-language. 



The bird has a voice second to no living thing. 

 This intellectual voice in many birds is especially 

 endowed with song, and this song is speech. All 

 animals express their feelings by means of sounds, 

 yet these are not, in the truest sense of the word, 

 either speech or song. The bird, on the other hand, 

 has most beautiful speaking tones, which are pleas- 

 ing to the ear, and which all true bird actors use to 

 the greatest advantage in portraying their emotions. 

 The bird's voice has many properties, such as ful- 

 ness, strength, roundness, versatility, and elasticity. 



