76 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



intention of eating it ? But I soon received a letter 

 from a gentleman residing in South Kensington who 

 said he had read the incident of the teal with astonish- 

 ment, that it had appeared to him just as if I had taken 

 an incident which occurred in South Africa, transferred 

 it to South America, and slightly altering the circum- 

 stances related the first half of the story. My inform- 

 ant had been out to The Cape, and while there went 

 to stay with a friend on his estate. His friend told him 

 that one day when out shooting he winged a teal and 

 on picking it up experienced so strong a pang of com- 

 passion for it that he took it home and set to work to 

 bind up the wound, intending if the bird recovered 

 the use of its wings to restore it to liberty. In a little 

 while the teal became attached to him, precisely as 

 in the case I had described, and would trot about after 

 him all over the place just like a little dog. Eventually, 

 when pairing time came round again the teal flew away 

 to the marshes, for it had recovered the full use of its 

 wings, and he never expected to see or at all events to 

 recognize his quacking little friend again. One day 

 when out shooting he had his eye on a bunch of teal 

 flying past at a considerable distance when all at once 

 one of the birds detached itself from the flock and 

 came swiftly towards him and pitched at his very 

 feet ! It was his lost pet, and the teal appeared as 

 delighted at the meeting as he was. After staying 

 with him a few minutes expressing its pleasure and 

 receiving caresses it flew away again in search of its 

 companions. Since that encounter there had been 



