UNTAMEABLE, 351 



spot from the house. One year, shortly before the brood 

 could fly, our gardener climbed up the tree, and out of 

 five young ones brought down three, leaving the other two 

 to be reared by the parents. When the man came home 

 with these pretty birds, I determined on trying to rear them ; 

 and by so doing, I hoped to have the pleasure of seeing them 

 remaining about the place. But the little beauties were more 

 difficult to domesticate than the wolf.* They were so pas- 

 sionate, that they would even peck at the person who gave 

 them food; and as their bills were very large and sharp, 

 it was not advisable to leave one's fingers to their tender 

 mercies. They would eat nothing from the hand excepting 

 worms ; but let these be ever so large and long, they soon 

 disappeared in their voracious gullets. When any one ap- 

 proached, they would stretch out their necks to the full 

 extent, and strike to the right and left with their bills, 

 uttering at the same time such piercing cries that it was 

 painful to hear them. 



" I kept these birds for a month, in the hope that they 

 would become tame and more amiable ; but in this my ex- 

 pectation I was very sadly disappointed, for instead of 

 improving, their bad temper was daily on the increase. 

 One fine day I restored them to their liberty; and when 

 they circled in the air and flew away, I imagined I had 

 seen them for the last time. But about two hours after- 

 wards they returned and alighted in the garden, and as 

 soon as they observed the gardener, they began to cry out, 

 and with open mouths to run towards him, petitioning 

 for food. It so happened he had some worms remaining, 



* Of this animal mention is made in Yol. I, page 400. 



