248



Peter, my Painted Bunting.



he looks into my hand for a fly ; when I take my hand away, he

tastes the fruit.”


Peter had two sorts of song : a loud song, consisting of a

loud, clear note repeated four or more times without variation ; and

a soft song, which was a pleasing, varied warble. The loud song

was sometimes harsh and piercing, sometimes more moderate and

agreeable. “ In uttering it he stands up with his head thrown back

and opens his bill widely at each note. His whole body moves as a

result of the energy with which he utters the strain.” The loud

song seemed to be given chiefly in the morning, but the warble

might be heard through the middle of the day. The loud song

seemed to be confined to the summer, whereas the warble w'as given

beautifully in December. Besides the two songs, Peter gave a

small variety of single notes, with divers meanings. One was

given, as we have said, when- he eagerly sought an insect

which was out of his reach.


The first time my bird moulted he lost all, or almost all the red

in his plumage. “The red round his eye was replaced by dusky, the

red of his underparts became yellow, and that of his rump green in

continuance of his green back.” Knowing that iron enters into the

composition of many pigments, I put a rusty nail into his drinking

water. The nail was put into the cup in the summer (it must have

been the summer of 1893) and was kept there permanently. When

the bird moulted the next autumn, some of the new feathers came

in with the normal red colour, but others did not, so that the under¬

parts were irregularly patched red and yellow. I hoped that in

another year the red would be completely restored, but the death of

the bird frustrated my hopes. Whether the iron in the drinking

water caused the restoration of red colour, is very doubtful; but I

give the facts as observed.


Peter died suddenly, the cause of death being unknown, on

January 23rd, 1894. I was truly sorry at the death of a bird who

had become so friendly and confiding.



