CARDINAL: MV FIRST CAGED BIRD 19 



or siskin could not liavc been confined in it; but for 

 the larger cardinal it was a safe prison. Unfortunately 

 one of the wires had become loose — perhaps the bird had 

 loosened it — and by working at it he had succeeded in 

 bending it and finally bad managed to squeeze through 

 and make his escape. Running out into the plantation I 

 was soon apprised of his whereabouts by his loud call- 

 note; but though he could not fly, but only hop and 

 flutter from branch to branch — his wings never having 

 been exercised — he refused to be caught. I was ad- 

 vised to wait until he was hungry, then to try him 

 with the cage. This I did, and, taking the cage, placed 

 it on the ground under the trees and retired a few paces, 

 holding it open by means of a string which when re- 

 leased would cause the door to fly to. He became greatly 

 excited on seeing the cage, and being very hungry soon 

 came down to the ground and, to my joy, hopped up 

 to it. But he did not go in: it seemed to me that he 

 was considering the matter, if the state he was in of 

 being pulled in opposite directions by two equally im- 

 portune impulses may be so described. "Must I go in 

 and satisfy my hunger — and live in prison ; or stay out 

 and keep my freedom and go hungry?" He stood at 

 the door of the cage, looking in at the seed, then turned 

 and looked at me and at the trees, then looked at 

 the seed again, and raised and lowered his shining 

 crest and flirted his wings and tail, and was excited and 

 in two minds and a quandary ; finally, after taking one 

 more look at the tempting seed, he deliberately flew or 

 fluttered up to the nearest branch, then to another, and 



