98 HABITS IN CAPTITITT. 



immediately, and inserting his beak into 

 thfe bare quill finished* the contents. It was 

 amusing to see the odd position of his head and 

 body as he clung to the bottle, with his beak 

 inserted perpendicularly into the cork. Several 

 times, in the course of the evening, he had re- 

 course to his new fountain, which was as often 

 replenished for him ; at length, about sunset, he 

 betook himself to a line stretched across the 

 room for repose. I found him active before sun- 

 rise, having already visited his quill of syrup, 

 which he emptied a second time. After some 

 hours he flew through a door which I had incau- 

 tiously left open, and darting through the win- 

 dow of the next room escaped." 



With great perseverance, which only the 

 ardent feelings of the true naturalist could have 

 inspired, Mr. G-osse continued his experiments ; 

 and, on the 22nd of May, he received three males 

 of the POLYTMUS from the Bluefield Peak. These 

 were turned into a room, and at once became 

 familiar ; and one of them, which appeared the 

 boldest, found out immediately a glass of sugar- 

 syrup and sipped repeatedly at it. One of these 

 birds disappeared the next day, having, it was 

 supposed, fallen into some corner behind the 

 furniture. The others, however, were quite at 

 home ; one, indeed, shortly became so fearless 

 and inquisitive, as to fly to the face of its owner, 

 perch on his lip or chin, and to insert its beak 

 into his mouth, sometimes annoying him by the 



