PAIRING. 143 
pefore our little neighbours made their appear- 
ance from the South. When they did arrive, their 
attention was immediately attracted by the unusual 
circumstance of hearing the loud song of a rival in 
the vicinity of their premises. This was a male 
black-cap, which we had purchased the preceding 
autumn in the bird-market at Paris, and which was 
daily hung out in his cage to enjoy the fresh air 
and the sunshine, within a gunshot of their usual 
place of nestling. The wild birds did not appear to 
like the little stranger at all; and the male kept 
flying around the cage, alternately exhibiting curi- 
osity, fear, anger, defiance, aud triumphant exulta- 
tion. Sometimes he would flit from branch to 
branch of the nearest tree, silently peeping into the 
cage with the utmost eagerness; all at once he 
would dart off to a great distance, as if afraid that 
he was about to be similarly imprisoned ; or, getting 
the better of his fears, he would perch on a con- 
spicuous bough and snap his bill, calling check, check, 
seemingly in a great passion; again he would sing 
his loudest notes by way of challenge, or, perhaps, 
meaning to express his independence and superior- 
ity. Our cage-bird, meanwhile, was by no means 
2 passive spectator of all this; and never failed, on 
ihe appearance of the other, to give voice to his 
best song and to endeavour to outsing him, since he 
tould not get at him to engage in personal conflict. 
This sort of altercation continued for more than 
a week ; but the wild bird became gradually less ea- 
ger to pry into the cage or to take any other notice 
of the cage bird, and at length ceased altogether 
to approach it, his attention being now wholly oc- 
cupied in attending to his mate, and aiding her in 
building her nest. It is worthy of remark, that 
though, on their first appearance, they resorted to the 
garden where the nest had hitherto been built, they 
finally fixed their residence in another garden at 
some distance, induced no doubt by the vicinity of 
