iSq^I Kennard on Young Red-s.houldc.red Hatvks. 2 77 



maximum rates of growth a little later, and from this period of 

 maximum growth they all gradually fell back a little at a time, 

 until I went away from them on the 16th of July. 



On June 20 I made up my mind that Bute was getting to be 

 quite a bird. She had on several occasions objected to being fed, 

 thinking perhaps she was too old for such childishness, and on 

 this day she utterly refused to eat at all, when I held out food for 

 her to take ; and bit and screamed and clawed frightfully when 

 I attempted to force her to swallow. I finally had to give in and 

 concluded to let her go hungry. 



I built some perches, this day, and on placing Bute on one of 

 them was surprised to see her flop off, down to her nest about 

 fifteen inches away ; she was evidently beginning to learn the use 

 of her wings, and would also spread them when she ran up and 

 down her shelf; she was also learning how to look angry, for 

 upon my bothering her in any way, she would raise her head and 

 back feathers and extend her wings in a drooping position, looking 

 very fierce, even at that early age. 



On June 21 I found that Bute had concluded to eat for herself, 

 for several pieces of meat that I had left on her plate the day before 

 had disappeared, and were only accounted for by a noticeable 

 swelling in her crop. I caught her later in the same day, with a 

 piece of meat under her foot tearing and eating it in a very 

 ferocious and independent manner. 



Topsy and Pete still ate as usual, and seemed little inclined to 

 follow in Bute's footsteps. From this time Bute seldom would 

 take anything from my hand and absolutely refused to be stuffed, 

 and so either fed herself or went hungry. 



On June 25 I noticed that Topsy was rather getting ahead of 

 Bute in size, and I could not help inferring that this relative change 

 might be directly referable to Bute's independence on the food 

 question, and the result of consequent lack of nourishment on her 

 part. 



June 27 I took Topsy for an airing. I chose her because she 

 was most tractable. Bute felt her oats too much and was too 

 wild and lively, while poor little Pete, with his ugly, noisy dis- 

 position was still too weak on his legs to allow of much running 

 about. At first I carried Topsy on my fore-arm, but finding that 

 my sleeves were not impervious to her very sharp talons I con- 



