220 Cruelty to Birds 



stayed my feet, two men and two girls were dancing 

 the " Tarantella " to the accompaniment of a guitar, 

 played by the Padrona. 



On the following morning I explored the other 

 portion of the island, in the vicinity of the famous 

 Blue Grotto. This time I walked, and by myself. 



As I was picking my way up a stony path, at my 

 feet there lay a beautiful male redstart, apparently 

 injured. 



Stooping to take him in my hand, there came a 

 sudden resistance. 



Then I saw that the poor bird was tied by a string. 

 Following it up, I found a man at the other end, 

 seated among some rocks, with a child of about four 

 years old by his side. 



The string was tied so tightly round the bird's 

 shoulder and under the wing that it was cutting into 

 the flesh, and the poor thing was sadly mauled. 



This inhuman brute was dragging the redstart over 

 the rocks as a plaything for his child, and the expres- 

 sion in the bird's eye was one of faintness and 

 exhaustion. 



With difficulty untying the string, which was 

 covered with blood where it had been wound round 

 the shoulder, I saw at once that the bone had been 

 broken, and that it was much kinder to put it out of 

 its misery, which I did. Behind and above the man, 

 stood a huge statue of the Virgin, looking pityingly 

 down upon the scene from a niche in the rocks ; 

 a very finely-carved statue, presented to the island by 

 an Englishman. 



