AUGUST, 1 88 1. 37 



of their master, and will even eat obnoxious morsels if 

 from his plate. 



A curious development of an opposite character came 

 under our notice a week ago. The ducklings of a neigh- 

 bour disappeared mysteriously, until our little lady, in 

 her peregrinations, observed a large bird appropriate and 

 devour one of them as it was entering the stream. 

 Watch was kept, and the result was that a large heron 

 was caught red-handed, and gradually appropriated for 

 the keep of our little kestrel, whose stomach requires 

 considerable attention. No doubt a duckling is a mere 

 trifle to such a powerful bird as a heron, but we were not 

 before aware that they become so omniverous as to 

 emulate the gulls in the vicinity of the farm-yard, and 

 thus devour young birds. Indeed, we still believe this 

 to be quite an exceptional and abnormal occurrence, and 

 worthy of being chronicled. 



Our little kestrel grows in interest and increases in 

 beauty of plumage. It makes a very tame pet, and is 

 greatly pleased to be taken notice of by any one passing 

 the cage at the kitchen door. It flies upon the galvanised 

 wire-netting, grasping it and spreading its wings, while 

 crying in the plaintive tone that seems so poor an 

 endowment for such a fine bird. Here comes some one 

 with a carefully-plucked sparrow the idea of plucking 

 anything for such a dextrous stripper of a bird and 

 hands it through the wires. Its feet are occupied, so you 

 see it is forced to take it from the hand with its beak ; 

 but no sooner can it regain its perch than it seizes the 

 bird round the neck with its foot we were almost going 

 to write hand, so like to the action of a hand is the grip 

 of the bird and holding it up as it stands on one leg, 

 tears it to pieces with its beak. Large soft eyes, and the 



