After passing their first winter in the large 
poultry yard, the Goose e.nd Guinea-hen were removed ee^rly 
next spring to a sort of aviary built against the shed- 
end of our farm-house and partly under a projection of its 
roesf but elsewhere heaving no better protection against the 
weather than that afforded by wire netting overspread with 
grapevines. Here they lived contentedly enough for 
several months, in close companionship — for the ground 
space was limited — with three Mallard Ducks, half a 
dozen domestic fowl of various kinds and about thrice as 
many white Pigeons. 
Indifferent, yet not unfriendly, in their attitude 
towards all these, the devoted couple kept apart by them¬ 
selves as much as possible and either coolly ignored or 
mildly repelled occasional advances made by one or another 
of the others with evident desire for closer acquaintance. 
This' spirit of aloofness was especially ^own when, as 
happened every now and then, the inmates of the aviary ?/ere 
turned out to do whatever they liked — except scratch in 
flew er beds. Thus freed, the Ducks, ^ens and Pigeons 
usually remained close about the house whereas the Goose 
and the Guinea-hen invariably went off together to ramble 
happily beneath the shade of orchard trees, amid fragrant 
meadow grass or through tall-growing unharvested corn, per¬ 
haps to rather distant woods beyond. It may well be 
doubted if either bird would have cared to go without the 
