Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-09-13
QUEER WAYS OF BIRDS.
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE
FEATHERED CREATURES.
Some Who Have the Dancing Habit
Argus Pheasants and Their Salta-
torial Grounds.


{ ing grounds forms feature
in the life of many species, particu-
larly i'll Australia and New Guinea,
where the bower builders live. In
South America the cocks-of the-rock,
brilliant chatterers of orange or blood
red plumage, are stated to have dane
ing grounds, as do doubtless other
birds, if we only knew their life his
tories.
The Argus pheasants are wonderful
game birds with enormous wings
studded with "eyes," from which
popularity the bird gets its name of
Argus, the "hundred-eyed" pheasant.
This fowl is tine inhabitant of the
thickest forests, and, Notwithstanding
his great size and frequent call in the
jungle, is extremely difficult to see.
The most experienced travellers, who
made it their business to discover the
habits OF this species, have scarcely
ever seen one alive. but they are often
trapped by the Malays, their dancing
grounds being sure place of capture.
Mr.. Dawson, who spent some years
in the iungles of British Burmah, tells
us that the Argus pheasants are ac-
customed to live quite solitary, both
males and females, but the male has
his own drawing room, of which he is
excessively proud, and which he keeps
scrupulously clean. A patch of ground
is cleared in the depths of the ever
green forests, where the birds lives,
for space of six or eight yards
square! Nothing is allowed to re-
main on it, and nothing but the bare
earth is seen. Every leaf or twig that
falls from the surrounding trees is re-
moved with care. Sometimes the top
of hill in comparatively open
jungle is cleared, and at other times
the dancing ground is chosen in some
open, level spot-it may be in dark,
gloomy ravine, entirely surrounded
and shut in by dense brakes and rank
vegetation.
Cranes are great dancers and seem
to delight in the amusement both in n
wild state and in captivity. Any one
who does not mind being taken for a
sort of idiot has only to stand in front
of the crane paddocks in any OF the
geological gardens and wave his mn
brella and dance little. and he will
be rewarded by seeing the birds cut
unwieldy capers, or go through vari-
GUS evolutions of a saltatory nature.
They even do this in state of ma.
ture. Speaking Of the little brown
crane, which flies north of Alaska, Mr..
Lucian Turner says that during the
mating season they execute the most
surprising antics. They assemble on
some level place, and, amid chorus
of deafening croaks, perform series
of motions very similar to quadrille
as danced in the rural districts. Mr..
L. w. Nelson has also given an anus.
ing account of dance executed by
two of these same birds in Alaska.
The first conner remained alone for
short time, when second bird came
along, uttering his loud note at short
intervals, until he espied the bird on
the ground, when he made slight
circuit and dropped close by. Both
birds then joined in series of loud
rolling cries in quick succession.
Suddenly the newcomer, which ap-
peared to be male, wheeled his back
toward the female and made a low
bow, his head nearly touching the
ground, and ending by quick leap
into the air; another piroutte brought
him facing his charmer, whom he
greeted with still deeper bow, his
wings meanwhile hanging loosely by
his side. She replied by an answer
ing bow and hop, and then each tried
to outdo the other in series of spas
modic hops and starts, mixed with
set of comically grave and ceremonious
bows. The pair stood for some mo.
ments bowling right and left, when
their legs appeared to become envious
Of the large share taken in the per-
formance by the neck, and then en-
sued series of stilted hops and skips,
which were more like the steps of
burlesque minuet than anything else
he could think of. Other cranes fire.
quently join in these pas de deux,
and the dance is kept up until all are
exhausted
But perhaps the most curious dance
on record of bird is that of the toledo.
little manakin which lives in Central
America, and is known to science as
Chiroxiphia linearis. Mr.. Nuttino.
an American traveller in Nicaragua.
has described its habits as follows:
"The natives call this bird sballa-
dor, or dancer 1t was not until I
had been in the region for some time
that understood why it was called
by that name. One day, when hunt
ing through the dense forest, the pro-
found silence was suddenly broken by
the regularly repeated note of 'el bal
lador, and, softly making my way
toward the spot whence the sound pro-
ceeded, / witnessed one of the most
remarkable performances it has ever
been my lot to see. Upon bare twig
which overhung the trail at distance
of about four feet from the ground,
two male 'ballador' were engaged in
song and dance act that simply as
founded me. The two birds were
about foot and half apart, and were
ALTERNATELY iumnipo about t,vo f.ot .,