Does the female pea-fowl consider the male bird, with all his display of colour and movement, a beautiful object?
And does the animal companion say: How beautiful! when his friend in the sport makes a fine feint, and comes up serene with the knowing look, which the human on-looker can not fail to understand?
In some cases, at any rate, we should have to reply to this question affirmatively, if we considered make-believe the essential thing in aesthetic enjoyment.
_Theories of Animal Play._--The question of the meaning and value of play to the animals has had very enlightening discussion of late.
There are two principal theories now advocated.
I.The older theory considered play simply the discharge of surplus nerve force in the animal's organism.

He was supposed to play when he felt fresh and vigorous.

The horse is "skittish" and playful in the morning, not so much so at night.

The dogs lie down and rest when they are tired, having used up their surplus energies.

This is called the Surplus-Energy Theory of play.
The difficulty with this theory is that it is not adequate to explain any of the characteristics of play which have been given above.