268 FROM NORTH POLE TO EQUATOR. 



his wings, jerks himself up to his full height, rushes upon the 

 female, and, suddenly checking his wild career, appears before her 

 in Olympic majesty, stands still for a moment, trembles, twitches, 

 hisses, and all at once lets all his glory vanish, smooths his feathers, 

 draws in his horns and wattles, and goes about his business as if 

 nothing had happened. 



With head slightly bent, with wings and tail spread out, the 

 former moving tremulously, the wagtails trip with dainty steps 

 about their chosen mates, bowing, advancing, and retreating again; 

 the fire-finch looks like a brilliant flame of incense as he turns 

 about, singing gaily and spreading his beautiful feathers in the 

 sunlight, on the top of an ear of the Kaffir millet, among which he 

 and his loved one have made their home; tenderly, with mouth 

 pressed to mouth and breast to breast, like the children of men, the 

 dove and his mate together execute a slow dance; the cranes dance 

 passionately, with nimble leaps: not less ardently, even in sight of 

 apparently admiring spectators, does the beautiful cock of the rock 

 of Tropical America disport himself; even the condor, whose powers 

 of flight are of the first order, who sails through the air thousands 

 of feet above the highest peaks of the Andes, whom one would 

 scarcely expect to conduct his wooing otherwise than with his wings, 

 ventures on a little dance, and with head sunk upon his breast, and 

 with wings fully spread, circles slowly and with mincing steps 

 around his mate, to an accompaniment of strange drumming, mur- 

 muring sounds. 



Other birds, again, instead of dancing, spring impetuously up 

 and down, and hop hither and thither among the branches, at the 

 same time displaying whatever beauty they possess: thus, the male 

 birds -of -paradise assemble in crowds on certain trees during the 

 early morning hours, and with the aforesaid movements and tremu- 

 lous quivering of their wings, display their wonderful plumage in 

 honour of the other sex. Others even build bower-like structures, 

 which they decorate with all kinds of coloured, shimmering, and 

 glittering objects, and within which they perform their dances. 

 Finally, a few birds with no special accomplishments either of voice 

 or of flight or of dance, make use of their bills to produce singular 



