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wigs. They may also be caught by paper being placed in the

■same manner among the branches of wall-fruit-trees.


Our friends are very good in providing us with house

beetles—for “ Phil ” is a great favourite—and these, I think, are

his chief, delight. If a “ demon ” beetle trap is brought into the

room he flutters wildly with excitement, and the moment his

•cage door is opened darts down on the trap, his head and

shoulders disappearing inside, and he emerges in triumph with

a struggling beetle. It is to be hoped that the poor thing cannot

feel, for it is tossed about, and the legs and perhaps the head

torn off before the remaining portion is swallowed—this cruel

treatment is only reserved for the larger beetles, the smaller ones

are eaten whole. If the hapless victim makes an attempt to get

away, “ Phil ” enjoys it all the more : he will let it run a little

way and then, jumping after it, will seize it again like a cat

playing with a mouse. I must not forget to add to his menu a

few mealworms daily, and occasionally a moth (particularly one

with a good deal of down on it), makes a welcome change.


“ Phil” is a most affectionate and sociable bird, and quite

mopes if no one is sitting in the room with him, though with

strangers he is very nervous. He delights in having a fly out of

his cage, and will frequently fly on to my head or my shoulder,

and if I am sewing, and do not pay him sufficient attention, he will

steal my thread-ends out of pure revenge, and possibly eat one

or two before they can be taken from him. He has only one

trick, and perhaps it hardly deserves the name. I often carry in

my pocket (much to the horror of some of my friends) a small

tin pill box full of mealworms, for, in my journeys down to my

bird-house, which is some distance from the house, I am followed

by many small petitioners—wild Robins and Chaffinches which

I have tamed. I may just mention, in passing, that one Robin,

“ Bob,” has scarcely missed being fed a single day for nearly

three years. He follows me all over the garden, and will fly

down from the highest tree when called, and feed from my hand.

“ Phil” knows this mealworm-box quite well, and when I bring

it out and say “ Two for a worm,” he will fly on my hand and

give two sharp peeks at the box-lid, which is his “Open sesame!”


Ret me advise anyone who thinks of keeping a pair of

Shamahs to get both at the same time, or not to make a pet of

one before getting the other. A short time ago, thinking to give

■“ Phil” great pleasure, I purchased a hen. She is a nice gentle

little bird, but at present in very rough plumage. When she

was first brought into the room “ Phil ” did not take much



