78 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST 



legs and began rocking his head from side to side, 

 after which he shook his feathers two or three 

 times ; then tried to scratch his poll with his claw, 

 but didn't succeed. He was in a queer state, and 

 didn't know what had happened to him ; but he 

 soon recovered, and was just as fond of his little 

 playmate as ever, although he never again attempted 

 to pull her buttons off or peck her ankles. 



Some time after this Jack disappeared for a 

 day or two, and was brought back by a boy of the 

 village, who was warmly thanked and rewarded 

 with a few pence. From that day every little boy 

 who was so lucky as to find Jack out of bounds, 

 and could catch him, expected a gratuity on taking 

 him to the house ; and as the little boys were all 

 very poor and hungry for sweets, they were per- 

 petually on the look-out for Jack, and went about 

 with something in their ragged little pockets to 

 entice him into their cottages. Every day Jack 

 was lost and found again, until the good man, who 

 was not rich, concluded that he could not afford 

 to keep so expensive a pet ; and so Jack was given 

 to a gentleman who had a pet daw of his own and 

 wanted another. In his new home he had nice 

 large grounds with big trees, and Jack with a 

 chum of his own tribe was very happy until his 

 end, which came very suddenly. The two birds 

 roosted side by side together on a tall tree near 

 the house, and one summer night this tree was 

 struck by lightning ; next morning the two birds 

 were found lying dead at the roots. 



