136 MUTTON BIRDS 



be purposely shut, and then the trio would be 

 seen as eager to gain admittance as most birds 

 are to seek escape. Long before arrival at 

 Tutira, therefore, they were accustomed to come 

 to call, to look upon a proffered wrist as an 

 invitation to feed, and to regard their cage as a 

 home to be loved. 



If not given immediate attention, they would, 

 when hungry, fly on to my back, nibble my collar, 

 and gently tweak the skin of my neck. They 

 were never on any occasion handled, and never 

 therefore associated us with the most terrible of 

 fears to a free creature, the loss of liberty. 



For one day before opening its door, the cage 

 was hung on a tree on the lawn and the Parra- 

 keets thus in some degree accustomed to their 

 cew surroundings. Next morning was warm 

 and bright, and before the usual early meal, 

 "Hans," the eldest and largest, was encouraged 

 to hop on to my wrist and liberated in the tree. 

 The caged couple were then partially fed, the 

 outsider remaining hungry and therefore dis- 

 inclined to go far. He was, after a little, 

 replaced in the cage, and another given freedom. 

 Thus in turn each of the three obtained full 

 liberty, yet freedom, hardly more sweet than food 

 and home and comradeship. 



u Hans" was the first on whom dawned the 

 possibilities of unlimited space. To the big 

 willow, a score of yards distant, he flew, and there 

 remained for some time chattering to himself 

 and his mates, exploring the bark and viewing 

 the tree tops, the blue lake and the bluer skies. 



Very soon even these precautions were dis- 

 pensed with, the trio merely taken out, in their 

 cage, the door opened, and until dinnertime the 

 birds not again expected to appear. Meal hours 



