Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/204

176 September 4th.—Got to same place about 6 p.m., and counted fifty-one birds standing or sitting about within the limits of the sandy amphitheatre in a scattered proximity. Watching through the glasses, I saw one bird advance quickly towards another (combatively, as I thought), and, when just in front of it, wave and flourish with its wings. Then, however, the same bird, turning, moved a step or two away from the one it had seemed to challenge, and crouched on the ground in a manner not at all suggestive of combative inclinations. Shortly afterwards either this same or another bird (but I think the same one) ran pugnaciously at another, and both then stood with outstretched wings and heads craned forwards (the tips of the beaks seeming almost to touch each other), apparently on the point of engaging in combat. They did not do so, however, but in a moment or so paced away from each other, and stood indifferent.

As it grew towards twilight I again noticed the sudden little rushings of the birds, accompanied with wavings of the wings, and this became much more frequent as the twilight deepened. At length, by fits and starts—now one and now another, so that there were generally several at a time in different parts of the amphitheatre—the whole troop of birds were thus occupied, and it became an interesting spectacle. I watched as long as I could through the glasses, and, when no longer able to use them, very luckily two birds came quite near me, so that, although now semi-dark, I could see them well with the naked eye. Watching the whole time as closely as possible, I endeavoured to make out the meaning of this wing-waving, and it appeared to me that it was in connection with the chase of flying insects, sometimes (as I observed and feel sure about) in aid of a jump into the air after one, at other times owing, as it seemed, to excitement merely—the excitement (and I think the social excitement) of the chase. But that it occurred in and as a part of the pursuit of game (insects) I could not doubt after what I had seen three nights ago. I noted that when one bird ran and waved his wings another