242 



wliicli some years ago belonged to Dr. H. C. Rogers 

 of Birmingham, used to live on the most pronounced 

 terms of personal intimac}^ with his master and mis- 

 tress, and scarcely ever made any use of his cage, 

 which was always open, save as a restaurant, whither 

 he could occasionally repair during the intervals be- 

 tween the famil}^ meals. At these he was always 

 present, and I have repeatedly seen him actually perch 

 on the fork and dispute over the possession of a morsel 

 of food as it was about to disappear in his master's 

 mouth, elevating and flapping his wings and chatter- 

 ing in no uncertain spirit. In many other w^a3\s he 

 would show his complete friendship for man, or as we 

 ought perhaps to regard it, his complete disregard of 

 him as a possible enemy. But the climax as I thought 

 was reached on an occasion when I was attending Mrs. 

 Rogers during a serious illness. When the patient 

 took to her bed the bird and his cage were brought up 

 into the room that he might not be lonely. Here of 

 course he was soon at home, and from hopping about 

 on the pillow he soon learnt the way to creep down 

 into the bed, where he actually spent nearly the whole 

 of each day couched close to his mistress's side. So 

 fearless was he that when it was necessary for me to 

 examine the patient's chest I had to really drive him 

 awa}^ only to frequently return in a few minutes, and 

 often before I had said farewell. 



W. Geo. CKESWKI.L. 



