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Evelyn Sprawson — Hard-hearted Hannah



place to watch as the birds came down to feed when we were seated

outside the aviary.


Shortly after this, on each of three successive mornings we found

a Queen Whydah dead beside the dish of millet in the open, each time

with the occipital skull opening and no other damage.


By the process of exclusion it was now pretty evident that if a

bird was the murderer it could only be the hen Troupial, and as we

could not get a mate for her and in any case did not wish to retain

such a doubtful character, we got her into the shelter by herself, opened

the door, and gave her her freedom.


A dish of millet and some water were placed on the lawn just outside

the aviary: she spent a good deal of that day trying to get back into

the aviary, but found the food we had provided for her.


The next morning a dead Sparrow was found beside the food pot

on the lawn with the usual skull perforation, and this happened on

two subsequent occasions during the next fortnight, but after three

weeks of freedom we saw her no more. Her victims throughout were

males.


We never saw her aggressive towards anyone, and other birds

would freely perch and sit adjacent to her and show no fear. I presume,

of course, that she was an exceptional bird, but I have not kept the

species since. She came from South America, the land of Savannahs,

and during that winter, in those days when we used ear-phones and

crystal sets to listen in, one was nauseated with the constant repetition

of a song about “ Hard-hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah ”—

which ultimately gave the Troupial her not inappropriate name.


Why did she do it ? Was she a murderous misanthrope ? Her

beak, anyway, was the ideal weapon for making such wounds as she

inflicted, and from the positions of her victims in the aviary and at

freedom she must have been quick, certainly she was very neat.


Concerning this bird the late Dr. A. G. Butler wrote in Part II of

Foreign Bird Keeping : “I shall never purchase another ”—and I

agree with him.



