The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-03

ance. l.
 Some Of the social festivitsss soe saran
 have been sen by wary or fortun1te e0- | servers, notably by MT. Hudson, who i5au 1 graphically deseribea many quaint and interesting customs of iGcuth Amef4c1n birds. But, without .3oubt. many AE0rs
 take place that have as yet been con
 One of tbs whissical wsys in which birds enjoy themselves is by che AuWtng, which 'seems very drell in the p0sUeBsoxs or wings. T9ssre is q wh0lo fnmi1y--the
 lea. who simpis rsvsl in this snassmsnt.
 Sometimes singly and sonett1oes in par
 ties these little blrtis seise the tip ends
 of ioug swaying brenches. and hanging fcrfh in the wind, the more violent ssppar-
 ently the more fun. calling to one another In the merrfest way. The e1zne trick jS
 played by others who perch on . wearher
 vsne. swayinx in . ver'it~bae wind. and giee as they bend this way and olsat to
 preserve their balance.
 A prank sindlar to tisese was the daily entertaanment of q bird I once aasd at lib- erty in my house. A hanging cardboard map had become e wgrped that the up- per corners stood out from the wall. On -rlais the bird delighted to poznce with a
 violence which made 1t swing beck and
 
 room and alt4ht aaa1n wtfh the aams fe- hour at time.
 Bir<,s gre often quick ss avaa, sAsusslyes
 betnk casasd ssvtftly shrough the cir, which we understand and anpCuciake Our-
 seiveA evidently a0tuaAsa la Daxsy e6 suks In tho 6ar North. who tnsproxAssd aUsast- by explorers The birds sDsnt . xrest lasci
 of ssnie and became soznOWhAt tr0uble- some by laboriously and uodsify clim1bing
 up one side of the tent to the ridUgpoSe, and coastfnG down the other. Doubtlee8, the fun of the slide paid for the s51bor
 of the climb. as is the case. with . toy tn the same sport.
 great deal 0k the enjoyment of Paay comes undoubtedly from the dsatght in
 movement. but much is also due to the fact of accomplishfng something, like cAtch1ng some object. This boarD tho same relation to the simpler plays that
 the various games of ball do in human
 Parrots and cockatoos are fond of vary ing the monotony of their lives with playthfngs: bits of chain. eiifterinE ob- tects, . feather, key. almost anything.
 indeed, they will amuse themselves with for hours, and show c strong sense of ownership by rescntinE any other use of the objects they considev their own. A tame mocl1ng bird. who had tic free
 dom of the house. was particuiariy fond
  Finding this treasure in his mtstresss . work basket, he would work at 1t HI he loosened the fold. then seixe one corner of the paper In his beak. and with one floor, to his great delight. Lories, fayorite cage birds of the par- rot family. win play with one another in cotnicai ways. hopping sideways In a circle, with droH gestures, noddinS ther heads expressively. rolling over and over. shaking hands and many other gamboas. A noble macaw. says Dr. karl Russ, and an Amzxonian parrot, played together Ike
 two puppies wrestling and tumbling each other about.
 Wild birds are not less frolicsome. A party Of crows were seen by Nr. Long to play a long time with a bit of china,
 one enatching it and flying away with 1t. while all the rest tried to mako him drop 1t, Tapping their wings in his eyes, flying in his face. and in every way teas ing him. When at last they succeeded there was . rush and a scramble, and
 the one who secured it oecaTne in his
 turn the butt of the party. Hawks, prob ably mates, play together with thelr
 prey. especially snakes One will fly to great height and drop it. when his plavfeliow will catch 1t before 1t reaches
 the ground. Then the parts are reversed. and the second one takes his turn at dropping. Ravens act tn similar fashion with sea urchfns. only this is a solitary
 game, where the bird who drops also does the catching, doing il before the urchfn reaches the ground and is broken, thus showing that it Is play and not desire to eat. A ,strikangly human characteristic is shown in the play of birds amusing them selves at the expense of others-what we cali steasing." A party of jolly bide1ays were observed in Ohio. engaged in tnis game. It was cherry time, ana we'll loaded tree invited all cherry lovers to
 partake. There were busily enEeEed rob
 ins, catbirds. redheaded wooapeckers, and
 others. The anischieyous bluecoats wouid stay on a neighboring tree tn everyooay
 was absorbed in the feast, then suddenly descend upon them with loud crfes. Ot course the cherry eaters would be panic stricken. and fly in disorder, when the run loving jays would calmly return 10 their tree and wait till an were back at their feast, then repeat the performance.
 Tunblfng over and over. or turning somersauits in the air, is a popular game. The black coated gentry excel In gre fesoue wing play. Ravens. looking the embodiment of solemnity, are frolacsome as bows. One curious perfor nance was seen bv MT. Selous. While hy1ng SOD erly along the bird suddenly closed its wings and rolled over on one side. turn ing eomuletely and coming up on the other side. but sometimes turned only half way and reversed and came up the way he started. It was an extraor- dinary feat. and the plrd proe1,u p~ts,,e vn centric. hut in a few moments repeated inc snort, and did so four or five times in succession. with stolid flights between. l
 The dancing of ostriches and cranes 1 has often been noted. but another sort ts l not SO well known. This is kind Of ''uosing' play. Here is one condueted ny A dienf4ed grackle. Two birds take tneir place on the ground. facing. Then te- ] 9ether they begin slowing raising their hessis. twisting them comicslly from side to side keeping their eyes on each other. Farther and farther stretchsup the bills tiV they point to the sky, and even more In this absurd position they stand for some tlme then lower them, and all IS over. taking their pleasure seriously. Ias their countrymen are said to do. Our -owh fficher or golden winged woodpecker. tn- dulges in a dignifed. but comicai per- formance. mostly posing. -
 The great blower has a grotesque play described by Mir. Selous. Towards even ing the birds will begin to run around ln wreat excitement. waving their wings. leaping into the air and then pitching | about Ike ships in a rough sea. ana every moment to dlg tneir | bills into the ground. In a few minutes l he yparoxysm Is past and the birds resume | their ordinary demeanor. Another bird. the kagu in the London Zoologicat grounds, carries this play a step rartnSr. and actually does thrust his ball into the ground and hold it there. kcking ana fiuttering with legs and wings.
 The last l shall mention IS klckeI l. I. nIarn