KIKI THE MOUSEBIRD

A light, feathery journal of life among the birds in Zululand. Mrs. Gutteridge is the dominating voice heard here with Gwalagwala (Hubert's nickname) winging in and out of the background. Their actual home is in the St. Lucia Estuary and Bird Sanctuary and Wild Life Reserve and is, Mrs. Gutteridge decides, the perfect place for a bird hospital. As the hospital expands into a wide variety of chirps and tweets with Mrs. Gutteridge busily knitting bird blankets, Kiki arrives. Called ""Mousebirds"" because of their curious furry-looking plumage, the babies of this species incongurously purr like kittens and with development, laugh ""ha! ha-ha-ha"" or ""tch-tch"" with an occasional ""ki-wee."" All of this is as charming as Kiki is and his story is related at great length. Mrs. Gutteridge has her hair full as she tries getting him admitted into ""select bird clubs""; coaxing him to try his wings; serves as arbitrator between Kiki and Gwalagwala (Kiki's jealous) and nurses Kiki through convalescence. Certain to appeal to all those readers who are for the birds.