shake out their feathers, utter a few warbling whistles or

intense satisfaction, and settle down for the night.


These falls, at night, of the female from her perch

concerned me greatly, for she had always betrayed a pre¬

disposition to apoplexy ; and some time elapsed before my mind

was relieved by discovering the real cause of the out-of-bed

tumbles. I discovered that, like other folk, each one has it’s

own particular side of the bed, the male ungallantly electing to

sleep next the “ wall.” If, by any mischance, the lady gets (or,

rather, got—for she is too wise to do so now) on to the sloping

perch before the gentleman, or if I, unwittingly, placed her on

the inner side, as they sidled along, little by little as the darkness

increased, she would eventually find herself in her lord and

master’s place next the wall, and, sooner or later, would assuredly

be landed on the floor. The exact modus operandi I never

discovered, for, although much the stronger bird, the pushing of

the male would only push her against the side of the cage. I

can only suppose that, in his dreams, he squeezed more and

more against her until she was in some way squeezed off the

perch. Let us hope that it was nothing worse than this !


(To be concluded ).



FEATHERS CHANGING COLOUR.


By Arthur G. Butter, Pli.D.


An American ornithologist has positively asserted that

when a feather ceases to grow it becomes to all intents and

purposes dead, having no vital connection with the body upon

which it has grown. If this were the case it would be impossible

for the plumage of birds to change excepting by a complete

moult either of the whole of the feathers or of the overlapping

portions : it would also be impossible for a healthy bird to show

greater brilliance of colouring than an unhealthy one, or a dead

bird to lose its vivid tints within a few days; or, if protected

from the light, within many years of its decease.


Every man who has kept birds in any numbers, is well

aware that a healthy bird is not only more glossy in plumage

(perhaps partly owing to the healthy condition of the oil-gland),

but is more vivid in colouring than a sickly one ; but lest this be

doubted, I will go one step farther, and say that everyone who

has kept birds, and after their death has had them prepared as

dried skins, will admit that, even though preserved in the dark, the



