246 



excitement. The wa}^ they eat a mealworm is heart- 

 rending to a beholder, as doubtless it is to the 

 mealworm ! They get hold of him by one end, it 

 does not seem to matter which, and the}^ eat him up 

 steadily bit by bit ; the last part often being very 

 much alive when swallowed. Tlie\'' have also a 

 curious habit of hiding what the}^ cannot eat at the 

 time. I have often watched mine take a maggot to 

 a hollow branch of elder and put him down, then 

 ram him in tight with her beak, and after a time go 

 and fetch him out and eat him in the most business- 

 like way. 



They are naturally birds that cannot stand heat, 

 but do not mind any amount of cold. My hen now 

 enjoys "brute health," which is all the more annoy- 

 ing as when they came to me she was decidedly the 

 weaker vessel. I am sure she would nest if I could, 

 find her a mate. I don't suppose I ever shall. There 

 are three things, sa}^ the Arabs, which never return : 

 the sped arrow, the spoken word, the lost opportunity. 

 For one brief moment I had my opportunit}' — and 

 lost it, I fear for ever. 



I think I had better draw this paper to a close, or 

 some of my readers will be saying to me what a 

 member of his flock said to a certain Scottish 

 minister. Asked how he liked the sermon, the old 

 fellow replied diplomatically that it was "^ vera 

 satisfying serTnojiT Asked what he meant, he rather 

 spoilt himself by his definition — " Because nobody 

 wants to hear j'ou again " ! 



