THE FLY ESCAPED. 235 



went, buzzing louder than ever in triumph. 

 This sound again roused the hunter's instinct, 

 and both orioles flew wildly after that noisy 

 creature, which toojc one turn around the room, 

 then alighted on the top of the lower sash of a 

 window, and passed quickly down the hole made 

 for the window-cord. The orioles in chase of 

 this slippery fellow, seeing him outside, came 

 bang against the glass, and then dropped to a 

 perch, looking rather foolish. 



Very soon after these birds were at home in 

 the room, the female began to sing a low and 

 sweet song of considerable variety. The male 

 confined his utterances to scolding and " huff- 

 ing," and he tried to silence her with a peck, or 

 by making ostentatious preparations for a nap, 

 in which curious way many birds show con- 

 tempt. But she did not often sing at home. 

 She preferred a perch the other side of the 

 room, where she sat down, her breast feathers 

 covering her toes, threw her head up, and turned 

 it from side to side (perhaps looking for the 

 enemy always ready to pounce upon her), as she 

 poured out the pleasing melody. Not a note of 

 song came out of his throat till weeks after- 

 wards, when her presence no longer disturbed 

 him, and spring came to stir even his hard 

 heart. 



Matters culminated, in this ill-assorted union, 



