anti 



he never put his foot inside the door, even when 

 coaxed to do so, till one morning, to my great 

 surprise, he flew from a tree close by into the open 

 window of my little children's nursery. There 

 he sat on the floor looking with a sad and rolling 

 eye at the final packing of boxes and preparations 

 for departure, for in an hour they were about to 

 leave the country for England. He must have 

 known and realized this, for nothing else had ever 

 lured him into the house before and he never en- 

 tered it afterward. It was one of the most touch- 

 ing tributes of attachment I have known. 



Sometimes he was gay and playful. I shall 

 never forget how one day he was evidently con- 

 sumed with an irresistible desire to join in a game 

 of lawn-tennis. Whilst the game was going on 

 he flopped into the middle of the court and tried 

 to seize a ball. He was " shooed" away ; but re- 

 turned again and again, always to meet with the 

 same fate. At last he saw his chance, got a ball 

 in his beak and conveyed it to the low flat roof 

 of an outhouse, where he had a game with it 

 by himself. 



Poor bird ! he came to a most tragic end. The 

 59 



