216 ATTACHMENTS AND ANTIPATHIES 



strongest attachment on the part of the bh'd. Ex- 

 cept when he was feeding;, he sat continually on 

 her head or her shoulder; and if she left him but 

 for a short time, he would instantly fly to her with 

 expressions of joy, hover round her in ecstasy, and 

 warble to the utmost stretch of his voice; then 

 fly to her lips, and kiss them with transport. In 

 a few months, being obliged to leave Ireland, she 

 offered, though reluctantly, to resign her favourite, 

 which she had named Ariel, to. his first owner. The 

 little boy, sensible of the pains she had taken, and 

 the attachment she had formed, generously made 

 her a present of the bird, which she brought with 

 her to England. 



Ariel continued to show her, every day, if pos- 

 sible, stronger marks of attachment, not unmixed 

 with jealousy ; for if she was absent for a day 

 or two, which sometimes unavoidably happened, 

 he appeared dull and discontented, and seldom sang : 

 yet the moment he heard her voice, or even her 

 step, at a distance, which he distinguished from every 

 other, he would fly to her with delight; but, as 

 if recollecting that she had offended him, he would 

 scold her, which he does whenever any thing dis- 

 pleases or frightens him, and be sullen for a long 

 while, sitting on his perch in a fit of ill-humour. 

 When his anger was abated, he would try to make 



