224 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



lieves. No better proof of this exists than in their 

 inimitable acting and playing. 



From the earliest times the wonderfully devel- 

 oped art of mimicry among birds has been deemed 

 as verging upon the supernatural. Men, especially 

 the less educated, being unable to explain the mys- 

 tery, have contented themselves with believing that 

 these actors are birds of ill-omen. This is especially 

 true of night birds, such as the owls. In Mada- 

 gascar there are seven species of these actors, and 

 they are referred to by the natives as "spirit-birds" 

 and are believed to be the embodiment of the spirits 

 of the wicked. Their screech is the presage of great 

 misfortune. The rarest of these ' 'day-sleeper" ac- 

 tors is very beautifully marked with silvery wave 

 lines over pale reddish brown. The uncanny eyes 

 and elaborate head-dress so skilfully used in acting 

 lead to many strange tales among the superstitious 

 natives. 



The methods or schools of acting in the bird 

 world are quite as varied as in the human world. 

 Each individual plays the part for which he is best 

 suited, and which best aids in his combats, or in 

 winning a mate, as the case may be. Usually the 

 song-bird is not so clever an actor as his songless 

 brother, whose chief personal charm is in his acting. 

 And when the season of love approaches and the 



