''THESE ARE YOUR BROTHERS.'' 219 



waited for another chance to make a raid upon 

 the coveted stores. 



No one who has kept several birds needs to 

 be told of their jealousy. In spite of infinite 

 pains and redoubled attentions to the older resi- 

 dent, I have been pained to see the feeling to- 

 wards a new-comer cause unhappiness, even 

 misery, and in one case a permanent souring 

 of temper. 



It is curious to see a bird show rage. Be- 

 sides the singing already spoken of, the cardinal 

 sometimes displays it in another way. He will 

 perch as near as possible to the wires which 

 separate him from the goldfinch ; raise the 

 feathers of his neck all around, till they look 

 like a ruff; lean his head far over one side, 

 with crest down, eyes fixed on the enemy, and 

 one wing quivering. This attitude of speech- 

 less wrath seems to impress the goldfinch for a 

 moment, but at last he takes courage and be- 

 gins to sing, low at first, but gradually louder, 

 till ahnost shrieking, while his own wings droop 

 and quiver, and he edges nearer and nearer to 

 his insulter, until his swelling body fairly 

 touches the wires. Meanwhile, upon the open- 

 ing of the song the cardinal scolds his harshest, 

 and when the goldfinch touches his wires he 

 gives a vicious dig into his rice, which sends a 

 volley flying, and seizes a wire in his bill as 



