7 o ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



and it then first came into her mind to try an experi- 

 ment. If her fox still lived, she thought, where would 

 he be but in the wood a mile or so from the village? 

 There she would go and seek for him. It was near 

 sunset when she reached the wood, and after making 

 her way to its innermost part she stood still and 

 raising her voice to its highest pitch sent forth a 

 loud shrill call — Peter — Pee-ter — Peee-ter! and then 

 waited. By-and-by she heard a sound, and looking 

 in the direction it came from she spied Peter himself 

 coming towards her at his topmost speed, making 

 the dead leaves fly about him with the wind he 

 created; but when he got to her there was no touching 

 him, though she was eager to clasp her dear recovered 

 friend in her arms, for he was beside himself with 

 joy and could only rush round and round her in a 

 wide circle and then charging straight at her leaped 

 clear over her head, and then again, and then a third 

 time! This sounds incredible, but the lady sticks 

 to it that her fox did accomplish this feat, and says 

 that she was astonished at the sight of its trans- 

 ports of joy at finding her. Then, when he had thus 

 worked off his excitement, they went home together, 

 Peter trotting along at her side and breaking out from 

 time to time into fresh demonstrations of delight 

 and affection. 



Friendship among birds is less remarked than it is 

 in mammals, simply, I believe, because their inner 

 life is less openly revealed to us; in other words, 

 because they have wings to fly with, and quicker, 

 brighter, more variable or volatile minds to match 



