AND OTHER BIRDS 83 



Often before I knew this Parrot well, I own 

 I had thought her merely and solely philosophic, 

 her solicitude over the manner in which her 

 chicks were disturbed deeper than over what 

 she might reasonably have believed their danger 

 and pain. It was not until I saw her moved 

 that justice was accorded to her qualities of 

 heart. Six months later I re-visited this tree 

 with McLean, and from the worn state of its 

 interior and the signs of traffic about its immedi- 

 ate vicinity have no doubt the twins grew up 

 and reached maturity. In its cavity, trodden 

 and fouled, we discovered a penny one of the 

 coins used in the tin mug ; and which must have 

 been jerked out; and it was with this lucky 

 penny in my pocket that we found that same day 

 our first Kiwi burrow. 



