124 PHILL1DA AND 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- 



