82 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



which to my intense chagrin abounded in the vicinity 

 and often came over into my garden to stare at and 

 terrify the birds. One day I had occasion to go up to 

 town and did not return until late, but before starting 

 I said to "Someone", "Be sure and shut the aviary 

 window before dark," and "Someone" faithfully prom- 

 ised to do so, but forgot. 



On my return home at, or after, midnight, it was 

 raining, and I did not think of going out to look if 

 the little window was fastened, nor did the idea occur 

 to me until after I had been some time in bed: then, 

 when I heard the wind howling and the rain beating 

 against my windowpanes, I said to myself that surely 

 "Someone" had closed it, and I turned round and went 

 to sleep : but oh ! my laziness ! my laziness ! it was 

 fated that I should rue it on the morrow. 



In the morning when I went down, the first thing 

 I did was to go and look at the window it had not 

 been shut! the wire guard, however, seemed to be all 

 right, if the birds were strangely silent, so I went in 

 and ate my breakfast without any misgiving. After 

 that, I proceeded as my custom was, to feed the birds, 

 and almost the first thing I saw on opening the aviary 

 door was the poor Bicudo lying dead and more than 

 half-denuded of feathers on the ground ! 



The aviary I perceived was almost tenantless, and 

 on looking round I discovered some more corpses and 

 a quantity of feathers : a few Budgerigars were the only 



