HOOPER. 153 
poultry, came when called, would follow us about, and knew 
his way about the premises as well as the dogs. After a 
while he returned to his old quarters, and from that time 
until his death never but once attempted to escape, though 
he would occasionally take a flight round the water, and 
alight again; at the time alluded to, he would doubtless 
have returned, but in his flight he alighted at a farm not 
far from Noyadd, when he was immediately caught and shut 
up, and notice sent to us of his capture. I went to fetch 
him, knowing he would follow me, and on my way saw him 
being driven home by a boy; but no sooner did he catch 
sight of me, than he commenced half-running half-flying 
towards me, and making that remarkable trumpet-sound he 
was in the habit of doing when pleased; and walked the 
remainder of the distance by my side. 
He knew all the servants and. labourers, never molesting 
them; whilst every stranger, whether gentle or simple, equestrian 
or pedestrian, he invariably attacked if he could, especially 
any ragged person; he was rather the terror of our visitors, 
as he would frequently, like a watch-dog, dispute the entrance 
with them. He knew every member of the family at a 
considerable distance, whether on foot or on horseback, and 
would frequently leave the water to come and meet us, or 
walk by our side, talking all the time. He was lord of 
his own domain, and especially jealous of any animal ap- 
proaching its banks, generally taking the trouble to swim 
from the farthest end to drive them away. He was so 
well known by cows and horses, that they generally 
decamped on his approach. 
In the spring of the year he required little or no feeding, 
finding sufficient sustenance on the tadpoles and other water 
animals abundant at that season; he would eat any kind 
of grain, and was particularly fond of bread, which he would 
take out of our hands: he was as sociable as a dog, and 
nearly as attached. Whenever the entrance gate was left open, 
he would make his way up to the house; he always found 
out which room we were sitting in, and would call under 
the windows and peep in, and would not be satisfied without 
having something given him; he would then le down under 
them, seeming satisfied if he could be near us. In the 
summer time, when the doors were open, he would frequently 
walk into the house, and even round the breakfast table. 
Often when my mother was amusing herself at her flower-beds, 
