96 BIRDS OF THE WATER 



hedge, along the top of which there is now 

 a well-marked path. Not that numbers 

 would always intimidate her; indeed, she 

 would challenge the whole fowlyard, roosters 

 included, when she was outside and they 

 securely penned within their run, and would 

 wage a war, at once safe in results and 

 honourable to herself in nimierical dispro- 

 portion. It was curious to watch these en- 

 gagements, the fowls partly curious, partly 

 fascinated, and wholly indignant, crowding 

 and jostling against one side of their wire 

 netting run, and Budget on the other in all 

 sorts of bellicose postures, and thus the 

 tide of battle would surge up and down the 

 fence for an hour at a time. Pukekos, 

 when becoming angry, raise their wings and 

 tail, and puff out the white undertail coverts, 

 and the attitude of challenge is to stand as 

 nearly as possible upside down, the tip of 

 the beak lowered to the very ground, the 

 tail pointing straight to the sky, and the 

 feet swiftly marking time, like an angry 

 woman's hands clenching and unclenching 

 when prepared to tear out a rival's eyes. 



