74 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



but it did no recover its power of flight and made no 

 attempt to escape. It became perfectly tame and would 

 come at call to be fed or caressed. The strange thing 

 was that although all the people of the house were in- 

 terested in the teal and made it a pet, its whole affection 

 was given to the man who 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 

 appearance 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 



