WAR UPON THE BABY. 181 



describable cry, like " obble ! obble ! obble ! " 

 At others he squawks madly. On one occa- 

 sion he took an intense dislike to a lady, of 

 whom birds generally are very fond, and he 

 made a peculiar display of rage, squawking 

 and screaming at her, raising his crest, stamp- 

 ing, snapping his beak, giving vicious digs at 

 the side of the cage, as though he would eat 

 her if he could reach her. And although he 

 often saw her, and she tried her best to win 

 him, he always showed the same spirit, going 

 so far, when out of his cage, as to show fight, 

 fly up at her, peck her savagely, and chase her 

 to the door when she left. Again, a lady came 

 in with her baby, and he at once singled out 

 the infant as his enemy, fixing a very wicked 

 glance on it, but in perfect silence. He jumped 

 back and forth as if mad to get out, and sat 

 with open mouth, panting as if exhausted, with 

 eyes immovably turned to the baby. He would 

 not pay the slightest attention to any one else, 

 nor answer me when I spoke, which was very 

 unusual, till they left the room, when the mo- 

 ment the door closed behind them he began 

 rapidly, as if to make up for lost time. Some 

 visitors whom he fancies, he receives in silence, 

 but with slightly quivering wings ; only the 

 very few he loves best are greeted with a low, 

 sweet, and very peculiar chatter, which he keeps 

 up as long as he is talked to. 



