Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1888 — Old Antics of Birds. [ARTICLE]

Old Antics of Birds.

▲ relative of mine had a large manh spon his estate, and here the great cranes made their summer home, build* faig their curious nests there and res* ing their young, <*ays Prof. Holder i» the San Francesco ('all. The marsh was surrounded by high gra s, and it was his practice to creep throne h and watch the birds unobserved. The antics they went through it would be in«possible to describe —now they would caper along in pairs, stepping daintily with the mincing gait of the ide 1 exquisite. lifting their feathers or wings, taking short steps, and gradually working themselves up to a bird frenzy of excitement, when they would le&p*into the air and over each other’s backs, taking short runs this way and that, all for the edification' of the females standing by, and finally, after a series o< these exhibitions, the different birds ■elected their mates. Among the birds of the western hemisphere the cock of the rock ranks next to the crano in the strangeness of its evolutions The bird is confined to South Amer ca, and is about the size of a small pigeon, has a bright orange web in the male, with a plume-like arrange ment upon the head. It is a proud bird, principally building its nest in rocky places not visited by man. At the commencement of the breeding wesson, a party of birds, numbering from ten to twenty, assemble, and so lecting a clear space among the r cks, form a ring or c tele, facing n ward. Now a small bird takes its place in th® •enter, and beg ns to hop about, toss its head, lift its wings, and go through all the strange Movements possible, that appear to be watched with great interest by all the rest. When the performer is thoroughly exhausted he retires to the circle and another bird enters the ring, and so on, until all have been put through their when the pairs probably make their selection. Often the birds are so exhausted after the dances that they can hardly fly, lying panting on the rocluk Near the borders of Southern California is found a bird, isllod the inmate, that has a strange courtship. Il is about the size of a magpie. During the mating season <our or five bird* collect together and seem to vie with each other in the extravagance of the v posturing—wooing now in lows, nov •inglis in a regular dance, sad, by way Cf music, uttering loud, discordant squawks. Their long tails are lifted high in the air during this perform •nee, and their entire belutviov is »• wakable in the Pxtrema