THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 



the natives call it. They flutter about, spread their 

 wings, erect their splendid plumes, vibrating them till, 

 as Wallace remarks, the whole tree top seems made of 

 waving feathers. 



Pheasants not only spread and erect their fine crests 

 at such times, but they turn sideways toward the female 

 on whichever side she happens to be standing, and in- 

 cline the beautiful outspread tail in the same direction. 

 When a peacock wishes to make a display he stands 

 opposite the female, spreads his tail and raises it per- 

 pendicularly, at the same time showing to advantage 

 his beautiful neck and breast. Those, however, that 

 have dark breasts and eye marks all over the body 

 display their tails a little diagonally and stand in such 

 a position that the eye marks are clearly seen by the 

 female. In whatever direction she turns the outspread 

 wings and tail held diagonally always confront her. 



It seems undeniable that there is in this kind of 

 courtship a conscious display of personal charms, and 

 therefore play.* 



Following Darwin's account, we now turn to birds 

 of more sober plumage. The bullfinch approaches his 

 mate from the front, inflating the brilliant red feathers 

 on his breast so that they are much more conspicuous 

 than usual, and twisting his black tail in a comical 

 manner. The common linnet inflates its rose-coloured 

 breast and spreads its brown wings and tail, showing 

 the white border to the best advantage.! The gold- 

 finch behaves differently from other finches. His wings 



* Darwin, Descent of Man, ii, pp. 83-94 ; see also, on p. 98, the 

 strange behaviour of the Argus pheasant (described by T. W. 

 Wood). 



f Darwin, however, cautions us against supposing that spread- 

 ing the wings is solely for the purpose of displaying the colouring. 



