124 PHILLIDA Ajj CORIDON. 
pecially to please him, and was several times 
repeated. He ran rapidly, and with a comical 
prancing movement ; but nothing he did was 
half so laughable as the behavior of his mate, 
who all this while dressed her feathers without 
once deigning to look at her spouse’s perform- 
ance. Undoubtedly they had been married for 
several weeks, and she was, by this time, well 
used to his nonsense. It must be a devoted 
husband, I fancy, who continues to offer atten- 
tions when they are received in such a spirit. 
Walking a log is a somewhat common prac- 
tice with birds. I once detected our little golden- 
crowned thrush showing off in this way to his 
mate, who stood on the ground close at hand. 
In his case the head was lowered instead of 
raised, and the general effect was heightened by 
his curiously precise gait, which even on ordi- 
nary occasions is enough to provoke a smile. 
Not improbably every species of birds has its 
own code of etiquette ; unwritten, of course, but 
carefully handed down from father to son, and 
faithfully observed Nor is it cause for wonder 
if, in our ignorant eyes, some of these “ society 
manners”’ look a little ridiculous. Even the 
usages of fashionable human circles have not 
always escaped the laughter of the profane. 
I was standing on the edge of a small thicket, 
observing a pair of cuckoos as they made a break- 
