PAIRING, 11 



This sort of altercation continued for more than a 

 week, but the wild bird became gradually less eager 

 to pry into the cage or to take any other notice of the 

 cage-bird ; and at length ceased altogether to ap- 

 proacfy it, his attention being now wholly occupied 

 in attending to his mate and aiding her in building 

 their 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 dis- 

 tance, induced no doubt by the vicinity of our cage- 

 bird to their former haunts. The distance of the 

 place to which they removed is such, that we can 

 readily hear the song of the cock, and our bird is no 

 less eager to answer and to endeavour to outsirig 

 him than at first ; while it is worthy of remark that 

 the wild'* biro! seems no longer interested in such 

 rivalry, and sings as if his only concern was to please 

 himself and his mate *. 



Now we think it a very probable inference from 

 this little narrative, that had the wild cock black-cap 

 by any accident been killed, the hen would have 

 readily paired with our bird or any other which had 

 made its appearance; for it must have been the 

 natural dread of her preferring our bird, that actuated 

 the wild cock in his various expressions of passion 

 which we have just recorded. This conclusion is 

 corroborated by his subsequent behaviour as soon 

 as he felt secure in the affections of his mate by her 

 commencing the nest under his own auspices. 



About the same period of time, we had an oppor- 

 tunity of observing the proceedings of some other 

 cage-birds of different species in their preparations for 

 breeding. It is well known to be a common practice 

 among bird-fanciers to pair hen canaries with cocks 

 of other species of the same genus, or such as re- 



* J. R, 



H3 



