Music and Dancing in Nature. 271 



between male and female, composed of impetuous and 

 more or less confused notes and screams, accom- 

 panied with beating of wings and other gestures. 

 In some species choruses take the place of duets, 

 while in others entirely different forms of display 

 have been developed. In one group Onipolegus 

 the male indulges in solitary antics, while the silent, 

 modest-coloured female keeps in hiding. Thus, the 

 male of Cnipolegus Hudsoni, an intensely black- 

 plumaged species with a concealed white wing-band, 

 takes his stand on a dead twig on the summit of a 

 bush. At intervals he leaves his perch, displaying 

 the intense white on the quills, and producing, as 

 the wings are thrown open and shut alternately, 

 the effect of successive flashes of light. Then sud- 

 denly the bird begins revolving in the air about its 

 perch, like a moth wheeling round and close to the 

 flame of a candle, emitting a series of sharp clicks 

 and making a loud humming with the wings. 

 While performing this aerial waltz the black and 

 white on the quills mix, the wings appearing like a 

 grey mist encircling the body. The fantastic dance 

 over, the bird drops suddenly on to its perch 

 again ; and, until moved to another display, remains 

 as stiff and motionless as a bird carved out of jet. 



The performance of the scissors-tail, another 

 tyrant-bird, is also remarkable. This species is 

 grey and white, with black head and tail and a 

 crocus-yellow crest. On the wing it looks like a 

 large swallow, but with the two outer tail-feathers 

 a foot long. The scissors-tails always live in pairs, 

 but at sunset several pairs assemble, the birds 

 calling excitedly to each other ; they then mount 



