FOND OF ICE-CREAM. 193 



If during this exhibition any one came in, his 

 wings instantly dropped, though he did not 

 stop talking to me. This action of the wings 

 showed extreme affection, and must not be pro- 

 faned by common eyes. When I came close 

 and replied to him, his agitation was almost 

 painful to see, — such loving tones, such gentle 

 kisses, such struggles to express himself. Not 

 only did he insist on sharing his dainties with 

 me, offering me mocking-bird food or bread and 

 milk in the most loving way, but he wished to 

 share mine ; ice-cream he delighted in, cake he 

 was as fond of as any child, and candy he al- 

 ways begged for, though instead of eating it 

 he hid it somewhere about the room, — under 

 my pillow, or between the leaves of a book, all 

 sticky as it was from his mouth. 



Second in the blue-jay's affection was a lady 

 to whom at first he took a great dislike. She 

 tried her best to win him, talking to him, treat- 

 ing him to various tidbits, and offering him the 

 hospitality of her room, — separated from the 

 bird-room by a passage, — and above all danc- 

 ing with him. These attentions in time secured 

 her a warm place in his regards, though his 

 treatment of her was very different from that 

 reserved for me. He was always gentle with 

 me, while in her society he exhibited all his 

 noisy accomplishments, — squawked, whistled 



