THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 261 



sight," says Naumann,* " and has a quality of stateli- 

 ness when a pair of storks in fine weather and at the 

 beginning of their pairing time, for then they seem to en- 

 joy it most, circle up in the air higher and ever higher, 

 and at the top of the gigantic spiral disappear in the 

 clouds/' Whole flocks of cranes make these circles to- 

 gether, when the weather is fine and they are not hur- 

 ried. Falcons and ravens rise in pairs to a great height 

 and describe noble curves. Crown Prince Rudolf, of 

 Austria, thus describes the kite: " In the spring, at 

 pairing time, some idea of their powers of flight can be 

 formed. Exhilarated by the knowledge of their love, 

 the pair mount high in the air and move in circles. 

 Suddenly one or the other drops, with wings relaxed, 

 almost to the water, skims along rapidly in broken lines 

 for a short distance, then turns and hastens upward once 

 more, shakes like the kestrel, and performs some won- 

 derful evolutions." Naumann says, referring to the 

 buzzard: " It is a treat to watch their gambols above 

 their nest in fine weather, how the pair slowly circle 

 upward without moving their wings, the male gradually 

 outstripping his mate. He then lets himself descend 

 from a great height with a peculiar vibratory motion 

 of the wings, repeating this performance over and over 

 for perhaps a quarter of an hour." 



The other kind of movement play common among 

 wooing birds is the dance performed either on the 

 ground or among the branches of trees. If skill in 

 flight serves to display the male's beauty and agility to 

 his mate, dancing is better calculated to call attention 

 to and emphasize brilliant colours and advantages of 

 figure. 



* Naumann, ix, pp. 250, 361. 



