ioo FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



"padding" visible all round. It was very funny to 

 see "Jack" perched on the edge of this crock, rooting 

 with his long bill among the chaff for any unlucky 

 gentle that was desirous of rising in the world, and 

 when one appeared, or was felt, how quickly it vanished 

 again 1 



What with high living and plenty of exercise "Jack" 

 got so impudent that it was impossible to go into the 

 aviary without being attacked by him or I should say 

 her, for about this time a handsome male Starling, 

 wild, used to come down and talk to "Jack" through 

 the wires, and there was no difficulty, when the two 

 were side by side, in determining that the tame bird 

 was a female, for the black of her plumage was not 

 nearly as sheeny as that of the stranger, and she had 

 more white spots. 



Well, one day as I was going in to feed the birds, 

 what should "Jack" do but dart out over my head 

 and away with loud notes of triumph over the house 

 and out of sight. Naturally, I set her down for lost. 

 Next day, however, or perhaps it was the day after, 

 one of the maids came to tell me that "Jack" was on the 

 top of the aviary trying to get in. I went to the window, 

 and looked, and there was the truant without doubt, 

 searching for an entrance to her former dwelling-place. 



Arming myself with some mealworms, I went out 

 cautiously into the garden, and approached the returned 

 prodigal, with my usual call of "Jack, Jack", and the 



