DRAMA OF THE ANIMAL WORLD

Shannon News, 31 May 1927, Page 4

DRAMA OF THE ANIMAL WORLD

THE LOVE-MAKING MOTIVE. ‘The Drama of the . Animal. IVorld’ was a subject- of .a . vlecture at the Guildhouse, London, by Professor J. Arthur Thompson. ' , The motives of' the drama were hunger and ..love, and the plot evolution. The cast of; players, hq reminded his audience, has changed greatly from age to age, a l hd the scefiery enormously from; ! age to age. Coming t 6 the motive, of love making in the drama; Professor Thomson described an incident of a Visit to Sutherlandshir e tone Spring. He was told that if he vvas lucky he would! be able to see the‘tournament of the blackcock. .■ By a level sward on the shoulder of a hill he waited frotn 2.30 till. dawn. There came two, black -cocks and alighted, then two.‘ more; .and, four more till there were wight. And there was such- a lively tournament. They rushed at one another and - tot-, tered loud cries, and,- leaping into the air, struck at one another with their feet and lunged at. one another with their bills. , ‘ - Then came a rustling in the trees. That was the arrival of the, grey hens, about five or six. Instantly the whole atmosphere changed. No more jousting how, but the beginning of a dance. They showed off' their good points in this dance, and the dance grew fast and furious. Anxious to see more, he raised his head above the level of the wall bywhich he was hidden, and instantly there was a clapping of wings, a" rust-, ling in the branches of th E trees, and? the stage was empty— love’s , tabouv lost that morning. ! -

Then he described the^chann of the courting of Italian fire-flies: If; was an evening of early summer. in' Northern Italy. Sparks were; in the air circling up and down,' flickering lights—the Italian fireflies. : In the grass were other sparks, and signals passed from the air to {he grass and from the grass to the air. And round each female gathered suitors, to the number of eight or twelve, Jfrid light signals travelled to and fro., /! " Th e courting in this delicate,..fine way, he said, is often carried ..on so long that dawn comes befojre ,the *ce-: quette has made up’ her mind. - -