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perch to another. On the ground they crawl and scramble, for

their legs are much too short to enable them to run.


They are nervous and timid by nature ; and, although my

two are so tame, their inherent wildness would impel them to take

a rapid departure should they have the chance, notwithstanding

their daily and hourly protestations of affection.


The two birds are wondrously fond of one another, and

cannot bear even a temporary parting ; and I cannot help

thinking with apprehension of the advent of old Father Time

with his scythe — for what will the survivor do ! Human beings

have to bear such partings, but they can look forward to The

Better Land. But not so the birds, whatever future there may or

may not be in store for them. Some lonely birds will take up

with a kindred spirit, but the Bee-eaters seem to be so different

that one cannot fancy them taking to any other kind : they are

all in all to one another.


And now I must draw my long story to a close—with a

moral :


“ Let no man take unto himself a Bee-eater unless he is pre¬

pared to take care of it.” It will be gathered from what I have

written that to take care of a Bee-eater is a serious matter. But, on

the other hand, it is impossible not to grow fond of little helpless

creatures who trust in you and look to you for the supply of

every want. My Bee-eaters are the pets of the house.


Some years ago, a charwoman, who was doing something

about the place, referring to some birds, I forget which, said,

X( Why, Sir, you take as much care of them as if they were

babies ! ” I turned upon her with an awful look of horror and

indignation. “ Babies /” I gasped, “ Babies! ! ! Babies can be

found on every door-step, in every 7 street, round every corner.

Babies ake common ! !! But my birds y 7 ou cannot get for love

or money. They are Rare ! ! ! ” The poor woman was flabbi-

gasted. She was the mother of a goodly 7 crew, and outraged

maternal feelings must have utterance, although she was greatly

impressed with the force of my remark, which came upon her

with startling freshness. “ Well, Sir, babies are common I

suppose ; but zee mothers set great store by them" :—which is just

as it should be.



[Supplementary Notes, iotli May, 1902.—My Bee-eaters

completed their moult towards the middle of April, but even

now the secondaries of the male are not fully grown. In

general appearance, they are fairly 7 alike. The crown, hind



