144 Bird- keep ing. 



and fastened it while the bird drank the water, then 

 let it down and refilled it, and drew it up nearly to the 

 top, and I gradually left a longer and longer length of 

 the chain between the bridge and the bucket. The 

 bird soon found out that he must pull the chain up 

 into the cage, but let it go while he drank, till he com- 

 prehended the necessity of holding it with his foot ; 

 and as soon as this was made clear to him his education 

 was finished : he hauled up a bit of the chain, put his 

 foot on it, hauled up another length, and held that, and 

 so on, till the bucket came to the bridge, and he could 

 drink out of it. He never forgot the art, and was 

 often so proud of his cleverness that he would pause 

 to sing, after he had drawn the bucket within his reach, 

 before he quenched his thirst. This bird was never 

 happy out of his cage, and when it was out of repair, 

 and he had to live in a cage of ordinary construction, 

 he pouted and moped, and was exceedingly displeased 

 with his new abode. Of course care must be taken 

 that the lid of the box is not heavy enough to distress 

 the bird while holding it upon his head, and that the 

 machinery of the bucket, chain, and well is always in 

 order : any hindrance to the bucket's fall into the well 

 to get refilled would be most serious, and cause the 

 bird great suffering. A chain attached to a waggon 

 may be drawn into the cage and held in the same 

 manner, and the bird may be taught to ring a little 

 bell, by suspending it in a corner of the cage, and 



