The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
THE SPORTS OF ANIMALS
4 NATURALIST TELLS OF PAsTIMBS
HE HAS SEEN THEN ENJOE.


and Hold Cake Walks for Their Pleasure
My ideas may be those OF an extremist" said =
lover OF natural history. recently. but ! believe
that animals OF all kinds know very much more
than they get credit Tor have been of on q trip
for several months collecting. and have paid e.
pecia attention TO what might be called the sports
and games OF animals; and II they don't play after
the manner OF children then am very much mis-
taken.
Twas particularly struck with the offers which,
saw found in my travels famous place Tor thorn.
and so made my plans 10 study them. which did
by hiding in brush In the side OF little stream
watching them with glass II was q most fas-
cnatng sight Nearly all OF the hall dozen AMI
mails which saw were playful as kittens, roll
ing over and over pretending TO fight and engaging
in graceful and enjoyable pastimea One OF tho
sports which struck me as most interesting was .
slide The descent 10 the river at this point was
perhaps ten feet and the animals had formed .
regular slide at an angle OF about forty-ive do
greea An otter would start few feet back and
run twisting himself on his hack when he struck
the slide, going down the slippery place like an
arrow, entering the water head first and disappear
ing tor second to rise and swim In and Try 10
again. Sometimes two or three would 60 sliding
down at once with feet up In the air; and once two
by some error in judgment, became entangled and
struck the water in heap rolling over and oyer.
This entertainment was kept up for nearly an hous
and renewed at various times during the day. The
slide, which examined later, was smooth and
nicely made
The sea otter Is also very interesting Some
years az travelling along the coast OF ash
ngton when came to town OF shacks occupied BY
sea otter hunters. On long point Of land which
ran out into the sea was tall pole mast with
old ships ladder leading up on TO II, and on top
Irl. l.
In the kelp beds, and the men watched for them.
and II near enough shot them or signAlled boat
went out in the latter double ender which lay
behind point OF rocks waiting Tor otter TO ap-
pear. When one came had an.opportunity 10 sec
this rare animal tree It's catlike head showed
hrst the eyes CHANGING about in q suspicious man
ner Then saw IL swim out where the surf was
rolling in Just beyond the edge OF the kelp Here
II turned on its back and rode the like boat
and saw that It held between its legs little ono
supportin Il a swimmer would a child II was
pity to kill such affeconate creature or break
| up so perfect family party but the ring OF tho
| hunters rife sounded in lew moments and the
| old otter rolled over dead.
That birds have games as perfect as those Of
| children is well known They not only play, but
have play hours. This is particularly true OF the
bower birds of Australia. / have been fortunate
| in seeing one in confinement and the habit was 80
| strongly impressed upon it that even in cage IL
took the various thinge offered and attempted TO
| decorate the floor and walls In a short time this
bird had nearly bushel OF rags of brilliant colors
pieces OF shining tin bones, sticks, oolored stones
| and shells, all OF which it used in It's gamea In
| playing such things are picked up and carried
about by the male bird dropped here and there,
and changed about, undoubtedly TO attract tho a
tention Of the female
"Ihave one OF these play houses In Australia
that was five feet long" continued the traveller 1T
had nothing TO do with the nest OF the bird and was
| just as much playhouse as any possessed by
| child The bird has been watched In the act Of
| making one Sticks were first selected, two or
three ieet in length and placed in the ground the
large end FIRST that they fell over and met other
sticks on the opposite side. which thus formed q
| ped structure In IL the birds danced up
| and down. affecting mncing airs, hung their toys
on the branches and scattered others about on the
| floor.
The perfection OF this pla y house habit Is found
in one OF the great islands south Of Malay where
| little bird known as dmhliopsts erects perfect
house. the work showing that in constructive ability
| II is ahead of some human benga The first one
| ever seen by white men was found by Baccah an
| Italian naturalist, who was travelling In the heart
| of Borneo. He suddenly came upon Il in little
clearing, and Tor some time could not be convinced
that It was not the work OF native children; but he
was taken aside 10 watch. and finally saw the birds
about the playhouse, which was perfect hut with
peaked roof The birds had cleared away spot
| about small tree, which was denuded OF yerdure
on its lower part, and then a last growing orchid
was selected as timber and leaned against Il; the
birds being careful 10 leave door or opening Tho
| orchids soon grew together forming a roof and In
| front OF the house lawn was made the birds pick
! ing out the undesirable weeds The grass was
| dotted Wit al tar Nd
| and at the back OF the house was heap OF with
| cred blossoms, fresh ones being provided every
day
What might be called a cakewalk has been
observed several times among tho little birds
! known as cocks OF the rock They resemble pig
cons, but are OF blood red hue The feathers are
especially valued and In the early days OF Brazil
| were used only Tor the Emperor, his robo
| OF office being entirely composed Of
the richest plumage. The birds are
| very rare and their habits little understood bus
some years ago naturalist traversed Brazil with
| the express purpose OF studying them and II was
his good fortune to catch them at their sport He
had a number OF native scouts. who reported any
thing OF interest," and day he was called 10 wit
ness what they called a meeting OF birds He was
conducted some distance through the brush finally
| coming TO little opening which he reached by
crawling through the thick brush on hands and
knees Standing in an almost perfect circle about
five feet across, was flock OF cocks OF the rock,
| each bird shoulder u shoulder with its mate head
pointed To the centre all evidently gazing at bird
which il IL was not going through cakewalk was
at least doing an interesting imitation. II was
bowling to the audience, dipping its head TO tho
ground, turning round and round and bobbinR
this way and that its every motion beiag carefully
watched by the loOkersOn The bird would hop on
one leg, lower its wings and strut like turkey
cock, and by its gTotesque movements showed that
II was undoubtedly giving an exhibition The
dance was continued until the bird was exhaustek,
when il tell hack intao the ranks and another TODD
its place repeating the strange antics As near as
the naturalist could Judge each bird was wing
with the others in dancing or perhaps making .
display Of its attractions
IN Africa certain birds have decided realiza-
ton Of what constitutes comfort A naturalist
was travelling through the country when he came
upon flock OF storks, each bearing on its back .
copper colorcd bird about the size of robin Three
| StOTkS were hunting for 1rasShonners and wbaen