28 Favourite Foreign Birds. 



with variations according to the fancy of the moment. 

 At one time she said * Come along!' not unfre- 

 quently ; and now often comes out with ' Pucky 

 Pucky ! ' When excited by the arrival of a strange 

 bird, or by a visit from a lady with a striking bonnet, 

 she gives utterance to various cries, jerking her tail 

 up and down with great vehemence, at the same time 

 opening and shutting the feathers like a large pair 

 of shears. 



" Puck is very sociable, and strongly objects to being 

 left alone. She is never so happy as when being 

 carried about on the finger, and petted. She comes 

 to table for daylight meals, sitting straight and almost 

 upright on the back of a chair. She is very 

 observant, and peers about, passing remarks on 

 everything that goes on. When she sees or hears 

 me approaching, she receives me with fluttering 

 wings, and sundry whistles and joyous calls. Although 

 over two years old, she behaves like a child, looking 

 to us for everything, and crying for help when in 

 distress. 



"When sitting on her perch, Puck's extreme length 

 seems to be 2oin., of which the body is yin., the 

 tail proper 6in., the rackets extending yin. beyond. 

 A good crest curls back from the forehead over the 

 crown. The feathers on the neck and shoulders form 

 almost a mane ; and when threatened by another 

 bird, she holds her head very high, the beak down, 

 and extends the mane sideways, uttering various 

 uncanny sounds. The beak is large and arched, and 

 the upper mandible, which overlaps the under-one, 

 is plainly notched. The eight feathers of the ordinary 



