30 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



what it would do. After an interval of a few 

 minutes, the feathered humbug lifted up its head, 

 took stock of its surroundings, and, judging that the 

 coast was clear, speedily made off. 



A very similar story is related in connection with 

 a water-rail which had been picked up one snowy 

 day in what was presumed to be a dazed condition 

 due to exposure. The person who found it took it 

 to his home and laid the bird before a fire in the 

 hopes of resuscitating it, but for ten minutes it 

 remained quite motionless and stiff. After some 

 time had elapsed, however, during which the observer 

 remained quite still, the avian impostor suddenly 

 jumped up without the slightest warning of its 

 having recovered, and commenced to rush about 

 the room in an endeavour to escape. 



The spotted tinamou of the pampas regions of 

 America is another bird well versed in the gentle art 

 of deception, for when caught, and after finding it 

 is useless to attempt to escape from the hands of 

 its captor by its own physical exertions, it gives up 

 the ghost by dropping its head and indulging in a 

 few gasps. Should the hand which holds the bird 

 release its grasp for an instant, however, the artful 

 creature quickly flies away to join its mates, and, we 

 may well imagine, to gloat over its success in having 

 outwitted mere man. 



Many birds if disturbed during nesting -time will 

 pretend to be wounded and endeavour to lead an 

 intruder from the vicinity of their eggs or young 

 by laboriously limping or fluttering away in the 

 opposite direction. The well-known peewit, lapwing 



