will look at you when you give them their food ! 

 They will put their head on one side, and look up 

 with their shining eyes as much as to say, " We can- 

 not eat this without a mealworm or two." One day 

 they got out of their compartment, and followed me 

 down the passage right into the greenhouse at the 

 €nd of the aviary. I .saw them in time, so turned 

 back, and they followed— evidently they had had no 

 mealworms that morning, and would not leave me 

 until I had given them some. 



I was staying in the West of Ireland when these 

 birds first won my heart. The two I refer to were 

 taken from the nest very young, and so petted and 

 companionable had they become, that, stranger to 

 them though I was, they used to swoop into my 

 bedroom window and alight on my pillow with much 

 cawing, and scolding, too, if I dared ever so gently to 

 remove them. I am rather afraid to let the two I am 

 happy enough to possess fly loose, like my friends in 

 Mayo; and the charm of their perfect tameness and 

 their love for human companionship cannot be seen 

 to full advantage ; but there are .so many young 

 puppies, dogs and cats about that my heart fails me to 

 open the aviary doors, and let them range at their 

 own sweet will. 



I do not propose to give a description of the 

 different sorts of Choughs, but only to discuss the 

 merits of the so-called Cornish Chough as a delightful 

 pet. 



My readers may remember that the immortal Will 

 mentions these birds: 



"The russet-paied Choughs many in sort 

 Rising and cawing at tlie gun's report 

 Severing themselves and madly sweep the skies. 



I feed my Choughs on raw meat, hard-boiled 

 €ggs, grain of all kinds, bread, and currant-cake out 

 of which they love to pick the currants. In the 

 aviary with them are Weavers, and when I fill the 



