Some Experiences oj Cockatoos. 
287 
of the birds and probably on our fingers as well, so I decided 
to give Timniie a chance of redeeming her character before 
adopting so drastic a course. She did not lly clean away like 
her companions, but for several days after her release she 
kept us well occupied in following her about, as w^e hardly 
dared to let her get out of our sight. She spent her time 
sitting in the topmost branches of the old park trees, oc- 
casionally flying about half a mile and then calling until we 
came up, when she appeared satisfied and remained deaf as 
the poet's raven to our adjurations to " come down from that 
majestic oak!" She did not appear to suifer from hunger, 
although she ate nothing the whole time — Banksians possess- 
ing remarkable powers of fasting and being able to go for as- 
tonishing periods without food, provided the weather be warm 
and dry. 
Finally, however, we persuaded Teddy to lend us his 
assistance. He came most unwillingly, plahily intimating that 
he onlj consented to be carried out to oblige his friends and 
not from any regard for that stupid female who might die 
tomorrow for all he cared! Still we got him to the scene 
of operations at last and by tlyjiig after us from tree to tree 
he soon decoyed the erring TiUimie back to the ganlen and 
ultimately on to the roof of the house. Before long she Hew 
down on the bird -attendant's shoulder and was transferred 
to the feeding tray, and after that the battle was won. She 
never gave serious trouble again and soon selected a maple 
tree in the stable yard as her favourite perch. Sometimes 
she would hardly leave it, except to feed, for days and even 
weeks at a time; than a wandering tit would seize her and 
she would take long flights of several miles, being sometimes 
absent for more than forty-eight hour.s, but never failing 
to turn up safe and sound in the end. 
Timmie having made herself at home, I decided to have 
a last try with the recalcitrant Toby, and one morning re- 
leased her in the presence of both her companions. She 
stayed well enough for a few hours, but about mid-day some- 
thing startled her, and I watched her with a sinking heart 
vanish into the western sky. The evening, however, I heard 
that she had been seen, quite late, in a tree less than a mile^ 
away, so I rose next day at 3 a.m. in order to be able; to 
