THE SADDLEBACK 165 
male, and myself. Often whilst feeding he would 
glance back at me with a shy, almost with a pitiful, 
air, as if imploring my sanction to some action 
or other, as if deprecating any shadow of ridicule, 
but, alas! though he so knew and trusted me, 
though he allowed me to watch the whole process 
as it were over his shoulder, I ever failed to fathom 
his mystery. It may be that the bird piqued 
himself on the exclusive possession of certain 
methods of administering food, specialities my 
human stolidarity was unable to appreciate. It 
may be that the Saddlebacks did not wish their 
patrician modes divulged to the commoners of 
the island—the Tui, the Bellbird, the Robin. 
The parent birds were, from almost the earliest 
hours, unconcerned in the presence of myself and 
camera, even at the distance of eight or nine feet. 
Eventually they became so tame that, when desirous 
of obtaining both birds on the one plate, I some- 
times failed to keep the first-comer off by waving 
my hat directly over the chicks. The male and 
I had become real friends. He had perfect trust 
inme. We were in sympathy with one another. I 
believe he had fathomed my true opinion of his wife. 
1 I have always considered it a master-stroke of Kipling to 
make Mowgli, as an adopted wolf, taunt the leader of the Red 
Dog with growing hair between his toes. Depend upon it, if 
crossing between nearly allied species is rarely attempted, it is in 
part consequent on pride in minute but significant differences 
upon which breeds peculiarly plume themselves. 
