FRIENDSHIP IN ANIMALS 75 



intention of eating it ? But I soon received a letter 

 from a gentleman residing in South Kensington who 

 said he had read the incident of the teal with astonish- 

 ment, that it had appeared to him just as if I had 

 taken an incident which occurred in South Africa, 

 transferred it to South America, and slightly altering 

 the circumstances related the first half of the story. 

 My informant had been out to the Cape, and while 

 there went to stay with a friend on his estate. His 

 friend told him that one day when out shooting he 

 winged a teal, and on picking it up experienced so 

 strong a pang of compassion for it that he took it 

 home and set to work to bind up the wound, intending 

 if the bird recovered the use of its wings to restore 

 it to liberty. In a little while the teal became attached 

 to him, precisely as in the case I had described, and 

 would trot about after him all over the place just 

 like a little dog. Eventually, when pairing time came 

 round again the teal flew away to the marshes, for 

 it had recovered the full use of its wings, and he 

 never expected to see or at all events to recognise 

 his quacking little friend again. One day when out 

 shooting he had his eye on a bunch of teal flying 

 past at a considerable distance, when all at once one 

 of the birds detached itself from the flock and came 

 swiftly towards him and pitched at his very feet! 

 It was his lost pet, and the teal appeared as delighted 

 at the meeting as he was. After staying with him a 

 few minutes expressing its pleasure and receiving 

 caresses it flew away again in search of its com- 

 panions. Since that encounter there had been others 



