HOOPER. 153 



poultry, came when called, would follow us about, and knew 

 his way about the premises as well as the dogs. After a 

 while he returned to his old quarters, and from that time 

 until his death never but once attempted to escape, though 

 he would occasionally take a flight round the water, and 

 alight again; at the time alluded to, he would doubtless 

 have returned, but in his flight he alighted at a farm not 

 far from Noyadd, when he was immediately caught and shut 

 up, and notice sent to us of his capture. I went to fetch 

 him, knowing he would follow me, and on my way saw him 

 being driven home by a boy; but no sooner did he catch 

 sight of me, than he commenced half-running half-flying 

 towards me, and making that remarkable trumpet-sound he 

 was in the habit of doing when pleased; and walked the 

 remainder of the distance by my side. 



He knew all the servants and labourers, never molesting 

 them; whilst every stranger, whether gentle or simple, equestrian 

 or pedestrian, he invariably attacked if he could, especially 

 any ragged person; he was rather the terror of our visitors, 

 as he would frequently, like a watch-dog, dispute the entrance 

 with them. He knew every member of the family at a 

 considerable distance, whether on foot or on horseback, and 

 would frequently leave the water to come and meet us, or 

 walk by our side, talking all the time. He was lord of 

 his own domain, and especially jealous of any animal ap- 

 proaching its banks, generally taking the trouble to swim 

 from the farthest end to drive them away. He was so 

 well known by cows and horses, that they generally 

 decamped on his approach. 



In the spring of the year he required little or no feeding, 

 finding sufficient sustenance on the tadpoles and other water 

 animals abundant at that season; he would eat any kind 

 of grain, and was particularly fond of bread, which he would 

 take out of our hands: he was as sociable as a dog, and 

 nearly as attached. Whenever the entrance gate was left open, 

 he would make his way up to the house; he always found 

 out which room we were sitting in, and would call under 

 the windows and peep in, and would not be satisfied without 

 having something given him; he would then lie down under 

 them, seeming satisfied if he could be near us. In the 

 summer time, when the doors were open, he would frequently 

 walk into the house, and even round the breakfast table. 

 Often when my mother was amusing herself at her flower-beds, 



