68 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



one of these birds can be seen rolling on its 

 back on the ground, and holding a piece of 

 stick or a stone in its bill or feet, as if trying 

 to juggle with it. 



Then one day at the Zoo I saw a white- 

 necked crane practising drop-kicks ; it had 

 got hold of an empty paper bag, and was 

 tossing it up into the air and striking it with 

 its feet as it fell. This was quite in keeping 

 with crane character generally, for cranes 

 are intelligent birds, and fond of dancing 

 among other amusements ; they may often 

 be seen bowing and skipping and spreading 

 their wings in the most absurd way. 



Some birds get a great deal of amusement 

 out of a sham fight ; this is generally the 

 custom of playful parrots. You may see a 

 pair of macaws chewing at each other's great 

 beaks, and trying to push each other off 

 the perch, and at the same time making the 

 most awful growling screeches, which sound 

 as if they were trying to murder each other ; 

 but nothing is plainer than that the whole 

 thing is meant in fun, and I knew a macaw 

 that would play with his master, of whom 

 he was very fond, in just the same way. The 



