He’s Got All That Charm

—And Eyelashes, Too!

If you are looking for a lovable and amusing pal, then settle for a Kokomo. A big clumsy bird from the New Guinea forests, his long curved, fearsome beak belies his gentle nature.

We threw in our lot with a koko three months ago. He sleeps happily under the house (he’d sleep in our beds if we’d let him), sits on the dog’s back, pulls the cat’s tail, peeps in the bathroom window, steals from the refrigerator, swallows bananas and tomatoes whole.

In his natural state, at nesting time he seeks out a hollow in a tree for his mate. He builds her into this hollow leaving a large peep-hole for her beak. Then, during the incubation period he diligently feeds his wife through this opening.

His body is black, his neck feathers sandy, but the Kokomo's real claim to beauty is his eyelashes. Long, curling, lushly black, they might well be the envy of any showgirl. —Nancy Curtis.