148 THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 



rolled over in the snow, lay on their backs, took con- 

 strained positions, and uttered strange cries, apparently 

 with great effort/' * 



Sale, who brought the first kakapo to Europe in 

 1870, writes of this bird: " His sportiveness is remark- 

 able. He runs from his corner, seizes my hand with 

 claws and beak, and tumbles about like a kitten on the 

 floor, still holding the hand; then he hurries off as if 

 to prepare for another attack. He is sometimes inclined 

 to be a little too rough in his play, but a mild reproof 

 checks him, and he is really an amusing fellow. When 

 I tried the experiment of bringing a dog or a cat to his 

 cage he would dance up and down with wings outspread 

 and making every pretence of anger, and his pleasure 

 was evident when he succeeded in exciting the animal." 

 To me it is very doubtful whether this was in truth 

 only feigned anger. Naumann also regards the follow- 

 ing familiar phenomenon as a play: " It is fine to see 

 how the jackdaws amuse themselves during a strong 

 wdnd at the top of a tower or tall tree. One will hustle 

 another off and take his place, only to be pushed off in 

 his turn by the next comer, and so on for hours. Crows 

 often do this too.'' f 



Perhaps Brehm's report of a buzzard in captivity 

 belongs here also. This bird made friends with a little 

 dog, perching between his feet when he lay down, frol- 

 icked with him, and tweaked his hair with its beak. 

 Baldenstein had a tame vulture that was very fond of 

 him. Even when he teased the bird it made only play- 

 ful attacks on him, though under other circumstances 

 it made terrible use of its dangerous weapons. 



The question now arises whether such playful fight- 



- Naiimann, ii, p. 69. f Ibid., ii, p. 96. 



