COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 
277 
of the Turkey-cock is too well known to render any 
description on my part necessary. The postures of this 
bird are not nearly so graceful as those of the Peacock, 
who offers his spouse the most brilliant homage, 
covering her as with a canopy, with his outspread train. 
The Hazel Hen, Partridge, and Ptarmigan, also “play;” 
and the last mentioned does so in the most charming 
manner. 
Amongst the remaining birds, whose mode of courtship 
consists of similar dancing postures, the “ Cock of the 
Rock” (.Eupicola crocea) may probably rank the first; 
indeed, this gorgeous bird, an inhabitant of North 
Brazil and Guiana, most likely gains the appellation of 
“ Cock ” from its terpsichorean talent. Robert Schomburgh 
gives a very clear description of its dance, as follows :— 
“ While traversing the mountains of western Guiana 
we fell in with a pack of these splendid birds, which gave 
me the opportunity of being an eye-witness of their 
dancing, an accomplishment of which we had heard 
a great deal from the Indians, and which I had hitherto 
regarded as a fable. We cautiously approached their 
ballet-ground and place of meeting, which lay some little 
distance from the road. The stage, if we may so call it, 
measured from four to five feet in diameter; every blade 
of grass had been removed, and the ground was as 
smooth as if levelled by human hands. On this space 
we saw one of the birds dance and jump about, while the 
others evidently played the part of admiring spectators. 
At one moment it expanded the wings, threw its head in 
the air, or spread out its tail like a Peacock, scratching 
the ground with its feet; all this took place with a sort of 
hopping gait, until tired, when, on emitting a peculiar 
note, its place was immediately filled by another 
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