144 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



Secured thus to a wooden platform in a summer- 

 house, the bird had more room, and could not 

 further damage her feathers. She could also be 

 approached and handled the more easily, and 

 began to be tame, but, being visited for only a 

 short time daily, this change was a slow one. 



Sometimes at evening she seemed inclined to 

 use her wings in a particular manner common to 

 her race, and at those moments her whole attitude 

 was changed. When all had grown quiet, and she 

 realised that any one near did not necessarily 

 mean an attack, she would perch on a block at the 

 front of the platform, and gaze intently at a distant 

 hillside. Then, if a breeze rustled, she would 

 cause her plumage to lie close and tight, would 

 raise her head, and, after a moment, slightly move 

 outward the front parts of the wings. But even 

 this action seemed to disturb her reverie, for, with 

 a disconsolate shake of the pinions, she would 

 withdraw the head against the shoulders and 

 resume the former position ; and then she never 

 omitted to pluck at the leathern shackles on hei 

 legs, though at other times they would be unnoticed 

 for an hour or more. Again and again, and especi- 



