104 CORNISH CHOUGHS. 



wholly unmolested, for example, existing at the present date 

 quite close to a well known watering place in the Principality. 

 This shows that the Cymric Celt, unlike his Cornish cousin, is 

 not so mercenary as to place every young bird which can possibly 

 be captured in the way to mope out a brief and unhappy 

 existence, in the keeping of any Jack, Tom, or Harry who will 

 provide the necessary price ; but is good and kind enough to 

 allow the old birds to rear their young in peace : echoing that 

 sentiment and desire of every true lover of birds, which is, or 

 ought to be — Floreat Pyrrochorax Graculus. 



Postscript. — Since the above was written, the same bird 

 which met with the previous mishaps, has fallen into more serious 

 trouble. On January 8th, he contrived to catch the toes of his 

 right leg in some wire netting against, the stable window, and when 

 twisting round his body to extricate himself, snapped the bone 

 at the fleshy part of the drumstick. When the disaster -was dis- 

 covered the same evening, the limb was hanging straight down 

 with toes closed ; the bird was standing on the other leg, 

 evidently in great pain, and such immediately indicated that the 

 bone was fractured. Prompt treatment was necessary ; and the 

 method adopted is here recorded, as possibly useful to some 

 reader for reference. 



Complete quiet was of course essential, if the bone were to 

 have any chance of setting ; and therefore a large darkened cage 

 was provided, into which the other chough was also placed, to 

 keep the sufferer company. Four splints were hastily cut out of 

 a deal, hollowed on the inside to the shape of the leg, with the 

 ends cut to a point, where they would meet just above the knee ; 

 pitch was melted and applied to the inside of each strip — plaster 

 of Paris would, perhaps, have been better, but none was at 

 hand — and while a servant held the bird with a handkerchief 

 folded round its body to prevent injury to the wings, the splints 

 were placed over the wound so as to embrace the leg, and tightly 

 bound round with tape, over which a coat of melted resin and 

 beeswax was applied. Peck as he might, by no possibility could 

 the bird now either shift the splint or move his leg ; and dieted 

 on sponge cake soaked in milk — he wholly refused meat and 

 even insects — so he remained till the 13th, when his incessant 



