292 MODES OF ESCAPE. [CHAP. iv. 



will afford a permanent place of retreat. One wing 

 must be pinioned, close at the elbow, and the inclosed 

 space in which they are kept must be surrounded by 

 walls against which there are no trees or creeping plants 

 growing, to serve the purpose of a scaling-ladder; or by 

 upright paling, or iron palisading no network will do 

 or even by a fence of reeds fixed perpendicularly. 

 If there is the least hole or weak place, they will find it 

 out and work their way through it, as surely as Baron 

 Trenck would, were not his catalogue of escapades long 

 since brought to a close. With these precautions they 

 make an elegant adjunct to the fountain, the gold-fish 

 pond, or the aquarium of a pleasure ground. The Lap- 

 wing is another undersized bird, of pleasing shape and 

 still more engaging manners, which is well worthy of 

 being made one of the ornaments of such a situation. 

 It is surprising that they are not advertised for sale by 

 the dealers in such birds ; they have not hitherto been 

 the fashion, but could readily be obtained if asked for. 

 Captive Water Hens have bred both in the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens and in St. James's Park ; in which 

 latter inclosure they exhibit quite the tameness of 

 despair. There the unescapeable, unceasing, busy hum 

 of men, the daily crowds of prying eyes and prattling 

 tongues, compel them to arrive at the wise conclusion, 

 ''What can't be cured must be endured." Those who 

 are desirous that any piece of water in their park or 

 shrubbery should become the constant resort of Water 

 Hens, have only to allow the weeds to grow, and shoot 

 off a few of the superabundant birds, as soon as they are 

 observed to begin quarrelling with each other. The 

 Purple Gallinule Porphyrio (a foreign genus of which 

 there are two distinct species at least, the greater and 



