The Zoologist— February, 1866. 63 



from the slight injury inflicted by the clog's teeth, I turned it into some 

 fields where there were several large pools and a few streams, all well 

 stocked with trout; but here it was soon discovered by some boys, 

 who, after keeping it for some days without being able to make it take 

 food sold it to a friend of mine, who immediately sent it as a present to 

 me. 'Unfortmiately for my hopes of gaining some information as to the 

 changes of plumage and the times of their occurrence, it lived no 

 longer than two months. Having turned it loose into the garden, 

 1 placed near it a pan of water containing fish of several kinds, 

 but next morning they still remained untouched, and the bud ap- 

 peared to be dying. I then placed a small trout between its man- 

 dibles, and it was instantly swallowed with eagerness; next day the 

 process was repeated, and afterwards I continued the supply regularly, 

 but in larger quantity. The bird very soon grew strong, and in a lew 

 weeks would come running towards me when I called, sometimes 

 greelin- my appearance with notes resembling those of an adult, 

 Ihouoh^hey were not so loud. It rapidly became exceedingly tame, 

 never attempting to leave the garden, and allowing me to carry it 

 about and handle it as I pleased. No preference was showri for any 

 particular kind of food ; trout, pollacks, flounders, small birds slugs, 

 earth-worms, and even bread, were each swallowed with equal satis- 

 faction, but up to the very last day of its short existence it could never 

 be prevailed upon to take food of its own accord, even after long 

 ab'^tinence. When fish were thrown into the water, the bird lowered 

 its bill so as almost to touch the surface, and there would remain per- 

 fectly motionless for many minutes, as though fascinated. Even alter 

 health and strength were fully regained, it displayed but little activity, 

 except during the night, when it would occasionally wander as far as 

 the garden-walls would permit, but why it never made use of its wings 

 to pass the barrier I am unable to imagine. For the first few days it 

 remained in one spot, sleeping with the bill and the fore part ot the 

 head concealed beneath the angle of the wing. On the sixth day 

 I mi«^sed it, and after some trouble found it sitting upon a branch 

 about two feet from the ground in the middle of a thick bush, and ever 

 afterwards it showed a decided preference for like situations. In feeding 

 it I inserted the fish between the tips of the mandibles,-a very short 

 distance was sufficieut,-then, on my withdrawing my hands, the bill 

 was pointed towards the ground, and by a series of jerking movements 

 the fish was rapidly brought as far as the throat, when both neck and 

 bill were pointed upwards, and the jerking continued until the tail of 



