74 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



attachments than others : thus, the bullfinch, among 

 caged birds, is noted for his affectionate disposition 

 and many instances have been recorded of the bird's 

 death from pure grief after losing its mistress. The 

 daw too is a bird of that character, in spite of his 

 wicked little grey eyes and love of mischief. Probably 

 he was first called 'Jack on account of his human 

 qualities ; we might also describe him as the Friendly 

 Daw. 



I have told this story just to show that it is not in 

 every case, as some imagine, mere cupboard love that 

 inspires an attachment of this kind. 



An even more remarkable case than that of the 

 daw remains to be told. A friend of mine, an Anglo- 

 Argentine residing at Buenos Ayres, one day when out 

 duck-shooting winged a teal, one of a common species 

 — Querquedula flavirostris. The sight and feel of 

 the bird when he had it in his hand, its graceful shape 

 and beautiful plumage and the bright frightened 

 eyes and beating heart, softened him so that he could 

 not kill it, and putting it in his bag he took it home ; 

 and after bandaging the broken wing the best way he 

 could, he placed the bird in the large courtyard and 

 supplied it with food and water. In a short time its 

 wound healed but it did not recover its power of flight 

 and made no attempt to escape. It became perfectly 

 tame and would come at call to be fed or caressed. 

 The strange thing was that although all the people of 

 the house were interested in the teal and made it a 

 pet, its whole affection was given to the man who 



