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Mr. R. Phiixipps,



the sexes last May, and called the males “females,” and the

females “ males” ; though I feel that one is due to my own male,

for he it was that, ashamed of the company in which he found

himself, was sitting silent and undemonstrative on the floor of

the cage, and upon whom I immediately pounced, under the idea

that probably I had secured the only female out of the lot. In

this dark cage, by the way, I could not see the eyes, and, not

suspecting a difference, did not look for one.


I had the injured bird placed in a separate cage, to give it

a chance for its life. A few days later, it was offered to me again,

at half price; and I accepted it, more out of pity than for any

other reason ; and I am very glad that I did so.


I dressed the poor creature’s wounds, which were very

serious, only when absolutely obliged to, for it was impossible to

handle it without giving it acute pain, and, worse still, its agony

of nervous terror when taken up worked more mischief than

continuous dressings would have done good. Slowly and linger¬

ingly it faded away, until for two or three days it was seemingly

lifeless ; and on one occasion I actually put my hand into the

cage for the purpose of removing the dead body—when a slight

flicker of an eyelid restrained me. A day or so later, the sun

began to shine ; and I placed the cage in the sun. The genial

warmth of the sun seemed to arouse the invalid from its deadly

lethargy, and to give it hope and a desire to live, and from that

day it steadily improved. She—no longer an “it”—has since

not only been flying about the aviary, strong on the wing but

taking a perch—and only the thick ones—with difficulty, but has

built a nest, and is now sitting steadily, though perhaps on un¬

fertile eggs. Having lost not less than three toes, and with one

leg permanently crippled, she is unable to get in and out of a log,

and has built the nest—not a small one, judging by the amount

of material carried—on a hidden-away shelf. The amount of

litter dropped daily from the nest while it was in building spoke

eloquently of the difficulty she experienced in getting the stuff

into position, and of her industry and perseverance.


While the other female was sitting, the cripple sought out

and secured, in spite of many a rebuff, a good deal of the com¬

pany of the male ; the latter had no affection for her, but he was



