184 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



being they fly to meet him when he is still far from 

 them, and hovering, with loud screams, over him, 

 dash down at intervals, threatening to strike with 

 their wing-spurs, coming very close to his head* 

 Unable to intimidate the enemy with this show of 

 violence the bird changes its tactics, and, alighting 

 at some distance, counterfeits the action of a bird 

 seeking its nest. With well-acted caution and secrecy 

 in its manner, it runs silently along, stooping low, 

 and having found a slight nest-like depression on 

 the surface, sits on it, half opens its wings, and begins 

 gathering all the small sticks or straws within its 

 reach and carefully arranges them about it, as most 

 ground-breeding birds do when incubating* Some- 

 times also, like many other species, it tries to lead 

 one away from the nest by feigning lameness ; but 

 the former instinct of seeking and sitting on an 

 imaginary nest, which I have not observed in any 

 other bird, seems far more complex and admirable. 



When sheep in a flock pass over the nest, the bird 

 stands on it to defend its eggs ; and then its loud 

 cries and outspread wings often serve to bring the 

 sheep, from motives of curiosity, about it. Even 

 with a dozen sheep clustered round it the bird stands 

 undaunted, beating their faces with its wings ; but, 

 unhappily for it, if the shepherd is following, the 

 loud cries of the bird bring him to the spot, and the 

 eggs so bravely defended are taken. 



