50 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



lowish-grey eye of his, and you have the plumage 

 of the yaffle. 



After inspection he must, of course, be libe- 

 rated again at once. And do not let the hand- 

 some fellow get a stroke at your hand or fingers 

 with his pick-axe of a bill, for if he does, you 

 will certainly remember it. 



There is a rich bloom on the feathers when 

 alive, or just after the climber has been shot, 

 which is never seen when the bird is set up 

 in a case. Your very practical inspection of 

 him being over, when you have observed all 

 his points, and seen him, in his alarm, shoot 

 out that long barbed tongue, place him as you 

 would a carrier pigeon in both hands, and toss 

 him up. For a few seconds he clutters up any- 

 how, then off he shoots, in long dips or loops, 

 shrieking out his alarm-notes like a red-capped, 

 feathered lunatic. 



When he is happy on the trees or on the 

 ground, he shouts out his yike-yike-yike ! And 

 when he goes to roost in the tunnel he has 

 formed, or in the hollow of some tree, he finishes 

 the day's proceedings with one short, sharp 

 yike ! 



Some of our readers might think that from 

 the description given of the yaffle's plumage it 



