They would place it on the floor as if it was real. Yet, they wouldn't step on it on purpose, of course! :-)
Many cultures around the world reckons that excrement (whether human's or animal's/bird's) symbolizes good luck. It's even better if you're soiled by birds while they are flying above you, my dad once said. It's a sign that good luck is coming towards you!
In a movie scene, Michele Pfeifer was fallen in love with an aged mansion in an Italian suburb owned by an Italian Lady, but when she asserted her desire to buy the mansion, the lady refused it, saying that she was waiting for a sign if she was the right buyer. In a blink of an eye a dove flew over her head and accidently soiled on her. Immediately, the Lady stood up and shouted out that the sign had been given. The bird's choosing to soil on her was the sign of good luck and made her the right buyer!
