A FOSTER BABY 
seemed to say ; and the little fellow chirped 
Feed me ! Feed me ! They did not 
seem to know he was not their son, and, 
deserting the little ones in their own nest, 
both foster parents carried food to him until 
he shut his eyes in very surfeit and went 
to sleep. This continued at intervals all 
day. Several times, fearing the babies in 
the nest would suffer, I caught him and 
held him captive in a box, an hour at a 
time. Once he had flown up above my 
head in a tree, but with coaxing he perched 
upon a bare branch which I held, and allowed 
me to bring him down. He did not usually 
object to being caught, although strong in 
flight and apparently able to care for him- 
self. I put him in the nest of his foster 
parents, but he immediately hopped out and 
stood on the edge. Here they were most 
assiduous in bringing him food, and were 
evidently very proud of the fine strong little 
fellow. 
Meanwhile, as he flew bewildered from 
bush to tree, he landed on the side of a 
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