Eccentricities of Bird Importation. 263


measuring him it is impossible to be certain on this point. I am

also unable to satisfy myself that there is yet any substantial

upward curvature of the extremity of the bill. He readily takes

to the water when approached and I have seen him swim strongly

across an arm of the pond to the opposite side, his pose and

progression on the water recalling those of a Coot or Moorhen.

He feeds entirely on his own account and wanders where he

pleases, showing no fear of the other birds in the aviary nor

any instinct to keep close to his parents. One or the other

of these, however, is always in attendance upon him, and the

threatening attitude above described is assumed even towards

a human being entering the aviary. I was particularly struck

the other day by the behaviour of the cock bird towards

myself. I went into the aviary to look for the chick which

was not to be seen from the outside ; and although the trio

were securely hidden somewhere out of sight in the bushes at

the back, the cock bird — or what I took for the cock — soon

appeared upon the sand and attempted seemingly to lure me

away by the device so many of us have seen practised by

Partridges. He manoeuvred near me as if to attract my

attention, and as I advanced ran away with one wing drooped

as if attempting to persuade me that injury to his wing might

make pursuit of him on my part a profitable undertaking.

Knowing from his behaviour, as well as if I had seen the chick

with my own eyes, that the latter was in safety somewhere, I left

the three undisturbed.



ECCENTRICITIES OF BIRD IMPORTATION.


By Dr. A. G. Butler.


It has often struck me as strange that our L,oudon dealers

are, as a rule, so extremely conservative in their importation of

foreign birds, that they are content to order and offer to the

British public the same species year after year without making

the least effort to introduce novelties : should something new to

them accidentally turn up it is either sold at a ridiculously low

price as an unknown bird ; or, if named by some chance visitor



