7© JOURNAI, OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL vSOCIETY. 



and deliver, at least twice, and nearly always three times a day, his 

 rations. Twenty-five good-sized clams he would eat with relish; 

 after that he refused all but the softer parts. 



He now became very tame, following me about like a dog, had 

 free run of the place except at night, when he was shut up in a 

 shelter, and showed no fear of any person or creature about the 

 premises. He fought fearleSvSly with hens or cats, and rode down a 

 flight of steps hanging to the pointer's ear. He showed himself 

 well able to defend his rights, especially at meal times, holding on 

 to an offender with his bill and striking vigorous blows with his 

 wings. 



Becoming lonesome he would waddle up from the little pond I 

 had made him, climb the piazza steps and hammer away on the 

 screen door with his bill, asking an invitation within. He spent a 

 great deal of time at this and seemed well pleased to look into the 

 house at the coming and going inside. He became the tamest of 

 any of the fowl upon the place. I soon changed my first opinion, 

 that he was a stupid, sullen fowl, incapable of any regard for his 

 hosts, and spent much of my spare time in the grass by the edge of 

 his pond. When growing tired of dabbling and splashing, he would 

 come out and climb over me most sociably. We named him "Jere- 

 miah," shortening it to "Jerry" for ordinary use, and he seemed to 

 know his name. It may be the name offended his critical taste — 

 it certainly was no title to go to sea with — at any rate he never 

 failed to open his mouth and faintly hiss a protest whenever 

 addressed by it, but on the whole he seemed contented with his lot. 



While free to do so, he seldom strayed away from home. His 

 only venture occurred one morning when (returning late the night 

 before I was unable to find him and he stayed out in the grass all 

 night) he ran away down the street and compelled an electric car to 

 stop while he defied it to run over him, only scuttling off when the 

 motorman dismounted to catch him. He came straight home on 

 the run, a distance of two hundred yards, and made for the safety 

 of his puddle. 



I was much interested in his seamanship, his paddling methods, 



