ong
the mountains, as long as man does not molest them.

[Illustration]

JACKO WITH PUSSY'S BONE.

Jacko is a bird called a Macaw, and has fine feathers--scarlet and
yellow and blue. Jacko can talk a little. He says, "Come along, Jacko,
come along;" and when you come, as soon as he thinks you near enough, he
pecks at you with his great beak. When he is in a good temper he will
say, "Poor, poor!" He will sit upon the ivy all the morning and talk to
himself, and he will call the gardener, and he will cough and sneeze,
and crow and cackle, in a very funny manner. If Jacko sees sparrows
picking up a few crumbs, he will rush up, sweeping his great wings along
the ground, and take their meal for himself. If he sees poor Pussy
picking a bone, he takes great delight in creeping down from his ivy,
helping himself down with beak and claws, and at a sight of Jacko's
approach Pussy darts away, leaving the bone in Jacko's possession.
Pussy, of course, does not like this, but stands at a respectable
distance, and with curved back and flashing eyes shows her indignation
at Jacko. Presently Jacko retires to the ivy and Pussy resumes her
feast.

[Illustration]

MEMBERS OF THE POACHING FRATERNITY.

Among the various wild animals which inhabit the earth, it is difficult
to decide which are really friendly and which are really hostile to
man's interests. The actual fact appears to be that there is neither
hostility nor friendship. If farmers and gardeners kill off too many
birds, nature revenges herself by sending a plague of insects which the
small birds, if alive, would have eaten. Gamekeepers ruthlessly shoot
hawks and kites, or snare stoats and polecats, with the result that
their game grows up too thick for its feeding ground, sickly specimens
are allowed to linger on, and a destructive murrain follows. The rook,
no doubt, is fond of eggs; but nevertheless he does the farmer good
service when he devours the grubs which are turned up by the plow; and
as the salmon disease, which of late has proved so destructive, is
attributed by the best authorities to overcrowding, that glossy-coated
fisherman, the otter, is really a benefactor to the followers of Izaak
Walton's gentle craft.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: NEDDY'S BREAKFAST.]

A COW WORKING A PUMP.

My informant writes me as follows: "We have a wonderful cow here--about
ten years old, and very clever at opening gates and breaking fences.
There