26 Natural History. 



The wife of Mr. Barnes (formerly head keeper to Mr. D. 

 Wynham, of Denton Hall, near Sahsbury) carefully nursed 

 a very young hen pheasant with a broken leg. She 

 got well and in course of time was turned out with the rest 

 of the brood into the adjacent woods. For several seasons 

 afterwards this hen brought her own brood to the keeper's 

 lodge. 



Mr. T. B. Johnson, in his " Gamekeeper's Directory," 

 mentions one he had reared from the nest that became 

 uncommonly familiar. " It will follow me," he writes, " into 

 the garden or homestead, where it will feed on insects and 

 grass, and I occasionally observed it swallow large worms. 

 Of all things, however, flies appear to be its favourite food. 

 Before he was able to fly, I frequently hfted him into the 

 window, and it was truly amusing to witness his dexterity in 

 fly catching. He had been named Dick, to which he answers 

 as well as possible. Dick is a very social being, who cannot 

 endure being left alone ; and if it so happen (as it 

 occasionally does) that the bird finds every person has quitted 

 the room, he immediately goes in search of some of the 

 family ; if the door be shut, and his egress thus denied, he 

 utters the most plaintive noise, evidently testifying every 

 symptom of uneasiness and fear in being separated from his 

 friends and protectors. Dick is a great favourite, and on 

 this account is suffered to take many liberties. When 

 breakfast is brought in he jumps on the table, and very 

 unceremoniously helps himself to bread, or to whatever he 

 takes a fancy ; but, different from the magpie or jackdaw 

 under similar circumstances Dick is easily checked. He is 

 fond of stretching himself in the sunbeams ; and if this be 

 not attainable, before the kitchen fire. On being taken into 

 the house he was presented to the view of the cat, the latter 

 at the same time being given to understand that the bird was 

 privileged, and that she must not disturb him. The cat is 

 evidently not fond of Dick as an inrbate, but she abstains 

 from violence. I have seen her, it is true, give him a blow 



