io FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



and breast. Then what an eye! full, tender, jetty 

 black : and such a knowing expression. How sprightly 

 it was, and in what perfect feather ! 



When I opened the door of its small travelling cage 

 it hopped out at once and flew on to my hand for a 

 mealworm that I was holding between my fingers ; this 

 it speedily disposed of and then looked round for 

 more 



To say I was charmed, is to speak unworthily, at 

 least as far as the merits of my new acquisition were 

 concerned; rather I was enraptured with "Joey", which, 

 its former owner had informed me, was the pretty 

 creature's name. And who, I ask, would not have 

 been? It was so tame, so confiding, impudent even, 

 and utterly devoid of fear. 



If the door of the cage was open when I entered 

 the room where the bird was kept, it would dart out 

 and alighting on my hand or shoulder, give utterance 

 to a harsh sort of squeak, which was simply its way 

 of asking me for a mealworm ; and when I had responded 

 to the appeal by giving it one, how quickly that 

 insect would disappear down the capacious throat of 

 my petl 



I never saw such a capacity for swallowing as Joey 

 possessed except in the case of the Blue-bird I have 

 just described, and yet I do not think that my little 

 treasure was particularly fond of mealworms; in fact, if 

 there were any small soft green garden caterpillars to 



