A BEWITCHING DANCE. 163 



seemed necessary to life ; hour after hour they 

 stood on their respective perches across the 

 room, puffed out into balls, " pouring out their 

 souls," and entrancing us not only with their 

 suggestive melody, but with graceful and po- 

 etical movements, and a beauty of look and 

 bearing that moved one deeply. During the 

 aria both birds stood motionless, one with wings 

 drooping, and accenting every note, the other 

 with tail slightly jerking for the same pur- 

 pose. 



In character no less than in song the birds 

 differed; bright, active and high-spirited, the 

 gray-cheeked delighted in the freedom of 

 the room, feared nothing, came upon the desk 

 freely, and calmly met one's eyes with his own, 

 brave free soul that he was, while his vis-d-vis 

 was timid and shy, could not be induced to 

 leave the shelter of his home though the door 

 stood open all day. He never resented the in- 

 trusion of a neighbor, nor disputed the posses- 

 sion of his own dish. 



Almost as interesting as his song was a be- 

 witching dance with which the gray-cheeked 

 charmed every one fortunate enough to see 

 him. His chosen hour was the approach of 

 evening, when, with body very erect and head 

 thrown up in ecstasy, he lifted his wings high 

 above his back, fluttering them rapidly with a 



