42 A WOODLAND INTIMATE. 



or, more probably, for lack of appetite, 

 found himself less taken than she had com- 

 monly been with my rather meagre bill of 

 fare. 



This persuasion, it cannot be denied, 

 was considerably shaken the next morning, 

 when I paid my friends a parting call. The 

 father bird, forgetful of his own good ex- 

 ample of the day before, and mindless of 

 all the proprieties of such a farewell occa- 

 sion, slipped incontinently from the eggs 

 just as I was removing the cover from my 

 pen-box. Well, he missed the last oppor- 

 tunity he was likely ever to have of break- 

 fasting from a human finger. So ignorant 

 are birds, no less than men, of the day of 

 their visitation ! Before I could get away, 

 while I was yet within two yards of the 

 nest, the other bird hastened to occupy 

 the vacant place. She knew what was due 

 to so considerate and well-tried a friend, 

 if her partner did not. The little darling ! 

 As soon as she was well in position I 

 stepped to her side, opened my treasures, 

 and gave her, one by one, twenty-six insects 

 (all I had), which she took with avidity, 

 reaching forward again and again to antici- 



