8 



dead iu a corner of the cage, while herniate was lying 

 cuddled beside her. It was a most touching sight, for 

 he kept calling and cooing to her in a soft little voice 

 as though he knew something was wrong, and could 

 not understand her taking no notice. When we put 

 in a net to remove her he fought with all his might at 

 it, and it was with the greatest difficulty we could get 

 her away, and when we did he screamed for quite a 

 long time. For some days he would hardly touch 

 food, and he would get right away to the top of the 

 cage when anyone went near. I feared lie would 

 starve himself to death, and sent all over the country 

 to find another hen. Eventually I had the oj6fer of a 

 pair, cock and hen, and as I had ordered a hen from 

 another source I decided to have the lot, thinking the 

 four would live together. The pair arrived before the 

 hen could be sent, and were, I should think, much 

 younger birds than mine, for tlie}^ were smaller and 

 not so tame. Almost at once the cock started having 

 fits, and, thinking him almost dead, I took the hen 

 away and placed her with my old bird. Then she 

 started having fits, and I put her back to her own 

 mate, who had in the meantime recovered, but I had 

 countermanded the second hen, so my old bird was 

 again left all alone. To cheer him I put the new pair 

 near him, and they talked to each other in the most 

 friendly way till I thought I might venture to put all 

 three together. I did so, when alas for the fickleness 

 of the hen bird, she at once left her own mate for my 

 old bird, and together they turned on the young cock, 

 and would I think have killed him had we not gone to 

 the rescue ; so now the young bird is alone and seems 

 very .sad. 



