74 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



had shot it. To the others it was indifferent, although 

 they were always in the house taking notice of and 

 petting it, while this chosen friend was absent on 

 business in the city every day from morning to the 

 late afternoon. The teal would keep near him when 

 he had breakfast, then accompany him to the door 

 opening out of the courtyard to the street, and having 

 seen him off she would return to her place and pass 

 her day in a quiet contented manner as if she had 

 forgotten all about the absent one. But invariably 

 at about four o'clock in the afternoon she would go 

 to the open street door to wait for his return, and if 

 he was an hour or so late she would sit there the whole 

 time on the threshold, her beak turned city-wards, 

 to the astonishment of the passers-by. On his appear- 

 ance she was all joy and would run to his feet, nodding 

 her head and flirting her wings and emitting all the 

 quacking and other curious little sounds the bird 

 uses to express its happy emotions. Like most teals 

 it is a loquacious bird, and very excitable. After 

 that the great happiness of the teal was to have 

 permission to sit at his feet when he settled himself 

 in his chair to rest and read. She would actually 

 sit on his foot. 



It happened that some years ago I told this story 

 of the teal in an article in a monthly magazine. My 

 belief was that it was a very strange story, that the 

 experience of my Buenos Ayres friend was absolutely 

 unique — for who would have imagined that any other 

 person in the world had found a loved and affectionate 

 pet in a teal, which he had himself shot with the 



