124 My Yucatan Jay. 
the dpsirn tn appropriate him becamo stronfror, and on the 
final day T eonld resist him no loni,''er, and so T c.a^t aside 
those eeonomioal resdhitioiis with wliich T always arrive at 
a bird show, but seldom keep; T made the plunge and he 
travelled up to Yorkshire witn me next day, to take up his 
abode in a large cag^e in the bii"d-ronm wiiidow, where he soon 
made himself most thoroughly at home. 
His first moult was rather an anxious time, as he did 
not get on at first any too well, his old feathers had mostly 
to be pulled out by hand, and the new ones hung fire for some 
time, giving him a most dilapidated anpearanee, but eventu- 
ally he became well feathered, with the exception of his head 
and neck, which remained for some time absolutely bald; any- 
thing more comical than he looked with his long bare neck and 
absolutely smooth head cannot be imagined. I was in despair 
and was seriously thinking of " Tatcho," when at last a stray 
feather or two grew on his smooth pate, and after a time, but 
very slowly, others came in a very leisurely manner, and finally 
he had no further claims to the nam(> of " Baldwin," bestowed 
on him by (my scoffing family. The youthfiil yellow of his beak, 
and mouth also gradually changed to black, but in small patches, 
also contributed not a little to his (juaint appearance. 
But that is all a thing of the i)ast now, 'and Baldwin is a very 
handsome bird, his glossy blue and black colouring showing up 
well against his bright yellow legs. I soon found that to keep 
him in good form as much carnivorous food as possible was 
a necessity, as he will cat lait little of anything else. Luckily 
plenty of mice woi'c forthcoming, and he has on an average 
three or foui' a week during tlie autumn and winter, when- 
ever possible ill fai l, l;ut the mou^-e sea.-on seems to po of in 
the summer. The comnion liouse mouse is Baldwin's prefer- 
ence, he looks coldly on field mice, though he will, fmite <le 
miPAix, occasionally condescend to partake of tlicin. Shrew 
mice, however, he regards as special delicacies, and there is not 
much left of one in his cage after an hour or two. Failing these 
specialities he ulways has a slice (if either nnv or cooked meat 
l)er diem, and plenty of bones to pick at, also a few meal- 
worms daily, and any grulhs, caterpillars, etc., we come across 
are received Avith approl)ation. He has a little insect food 
always, though he picks this over more than eats it, some of 
