MAGUARI STORK 115 



extinct. It used often to do the same thing with dry 

 sticks (in order not to forget the way, I suppose) ; 

 while on one occasion it swallowed a piece of hard 

 cowhide, a foot long, and consequently could not 

 bend its neck for twenty-four hours after — till the 

 hide softened, in fact. The story also went that 

 * Byles the lawyer ' (as he was called) mistook the 

 tail of one of the pet lambs for a snake, and actually 

 had it down his tluroat, but was ' brought up ' by the 

 body of the lamb ! Byles inspired a wholesome 

 respect in all the dogs and cats, but was very peace- 

 able as a rule. One of our men had played some 

 trick on him, however ; and the result was that 

 Byles generally went for him on every possible 

 occasion, his long legs covering the ground like 

 those of an Ostrich, while he produced a demoniacal 

 row with his bill. It was amusing to see his victim 

 dodging him all over the place, or sometimes, in 

 desperation, turning on him with a stick ; but Byles 

 evaded every blow by jumping eight feet into the 

 air, coming down on the other side of his enemy, 

 and there repeating his war dance ; while he always 

 threatened (though his threats were never fulfilled) 

 to make personal and pointed remarks with his for- 

 midable bill. 



" Shortly after his capture feathers began to 

 appear ; and the followii^ is a description of the 

 bird at the age of about two months : Tail-feathers 

 white, remainder of plumage glossy green-black ; 

 bill black ; legs and feet grey. Spots and patches of 

 white began to appear on head, back, and wings ; 



