Peter, my Painted Bunting.



245



not understand for a day or two why, when the others were feeding

well, the poor baby goose made such bad shots at the food.


On picking it up, I saw that the pupils of the eyes looked life¬

less. This gosling survived for three weeks, and was then taken by

a rat or a stoat when the hen, under which they had been hatched

was walking about outside the coop.


Certainly the Ruddy-headed Goose is one of the most hand¬

some of its tribe, but to be able to appreciate its good looks one

must see it at close quarters, so as to discern the beautiful pencil-

ling's on the feathers-



PETER, MY PAINTED BUNTING.


Passerina ciris.


By Wallace Craig.


Peter was bought in a bird store in Chicago, and given to me

as a present. That was on July 20th, 1891, when I was but a lad,

though I had been already for some years an enthusiastic student of

birds. Peter lived under my care for two and a half years, during

which time he and I became intimate friends. We spent hours

together. And I made frequent written records of what the bird

said and did. From these old records, and from my vivid

recollections, I have prepared the following little biography.


Peter was an active, intelligent and interesting pet. Though

confined in a round Canary cage of the usual small size, he took

abundant exercise, traversing again and again the habitual though

invisible paths up and down and across his cage. One feat which

specially impressed me was his starting from the lower perch, at the

left of the upper one (which was at right angles), jumping up with a

turn to the left, turning 270 deg. and alighting on the upper perch.

He made this three-quarters turn always at the same place, and

ahvays in the same direction. Another cage habit that I recorded,

was that when the cage was cleaned and fresh gravel put in, Peter

Avalked on the floor and picked the gravel; but at other times —

because of the dirt, I thought—he avoided the floor, so much so



