No. 11. 



Sociability of Birds. 



351 



From the New Haven Herald. 



SociaMiity of Birds. 



Letter from a young lady to Rev. Mr. 



LlNDSLEY, OF StRATFORD. 



Dear Sir, — Having often heard that your- 

 self and family were very fond of birds, and 

 something; of a very interesting nature con- 

 cerning them having come directly under 

 my own observation, indeed quite in con- 

 nection with myself, I thought an account 

 of it might not prove uninteresting to you. 



Early in the summer of 1840, as I was 

 one morning reclining on my couch, in the 

 back room, the doors being open, a very 

 small bird came hopping in, and ran about 

 the floor, apparently in quest of something 

 to eat. I happened to have a soda biscuit 

 about me, and instantly threw it some 

 crumbs, which it ran to eat, as if very hun- 

 gry. In a few minutes it flew out. 



Before long it returned, bringing another 

 with it. I fed them both plentifully, and 

 they flew out. In a short time one returned 

 and partook again : after a while the other : 

 so they continued through the day. I did 

 not think of seeing them any more, but I 

 had no sooner taken my accustomed place 

 on my couch the next morning, when in 

 came one of my little visiters, quite tame 

 and quite at home; it ran near me and took 

 a hasty breakfast and ran out. Soon its 

 mate came, and took his in quite as friendly 

 a manner. Thus they continued coming 

 from ten to thirty times a day, and became 

 so much attached to their hostess, that they 

 would seldom take their meal, ever ready 

 on a clean paper by the door, but would run 

 close to my couch and look up to me, to have 

 me drop it to them at my side, which they 

 would take perfectly unconcerned. They 

 appeared for a time quite afraid of strangers, 

 particularly children, and would look to me 

 as they came in, as if to ask is it safe! 

 However, they soon lost their fears of them, 

 and would come in when three or four were 

 present. After a few weeks they began to 

 carry away large pieces every time they 

 came, after satisfying their hunger, which 

 convinced me that they had little ones to 

 feed, and I was astonished to see what a 

 little load they would carry, oftentimes three 

 pieces at once, as large as half a large pea. 

 Thus they continued visiting me for months. 

 until some time in the last of September, 

 just after tea, at the edge of a delightful 

 evening, I heard such a chirping as almost 

 to deafen me. In an instant the little mo- 

 ther appeared, enticing along her little ones, 

 which were almost splitting their little 

 throats with their chattering; and soon the 



father appeared. They ran up the steps 

 into the room, and stopped just at the door, 

 perfectly still, except the mother, who ran 

 to me very hastily, stopped at my side, looked 

 up in my face, and began to talk, she thought 

 as intelligibly as any person would, con- 

 versing with me. I never was more asto- 

 nished. I supposed that she was asking me 

 to protect her little ones. She stood in this 

 manner a few moments, talking as fast as 

 she could, when she ran back to her chil- 

 dren, and they all commenced eating their 

 abundant meal, which had been prepared 

 for them. When finished, they flew out 

 and visited me no more. I was then con- 

 vinced that the mother was expressing her 

 gratitude, instead of asking protection.* 



I mourned the loss of my little family, not 

 expecting ever to see them again; when, 

 how was I delighted, as sitting at my bed- 

 room window one Sunday morning, early in 

 the month of the next June, the dear little 

 creature who first made its appearance, 

 came running up the walk directly to the 

 door. Feeling very ill, and the morning 

 being rainy, I could not go to let it in, — the 

 family being at church — and was obliged to 

 let it go away, which it did very broken- 

 heartedly, after waiting for some time, with- 

 out giving it a welcome. I reconciled my- 

 self, thinking it would return the next day; 

 but I waited for it, and it did not come, and 

 I had entirely given up the idea of seeing 

 it any more; when, how was I overjoyed 

 one morning, to see it fly into the door and 

 run directly to my couch ! She stopped di- 

 rectly before me, looked up and be nan to 

 chipper. I answered her little how-d' ye-do, 

 and gave her some breakfast. She ran out, 

 and soon her mate came. They then con- 

 tinued their visits from ten to forty times a 

 day, sometimes together, sometimes alone — 

 would often stay and run about the room, 

 and appeared delighted when I felt able to 

 answer their prattle. On stormy days, not 

 being able to bear the damp air from an 

 open door, they, when finding it closed, 

 woidd come to the window and flutter, beg- 

 ging to come in. 



I would open the door a little space, just 

 large enough for them to pass through; they 

 would immediately fly on the scraper and 

 crowd through, evidently delighted, and try 

 to show their gratitude. After taking their 

 meals, totally unconcerned at being shut in, 

 they would amuse themselves awhile, then 

 out again on to the scraper, and fly to their 

 nest. Thus they continued their visits to 

 me again for months, quite at home, and for 



* What a happy and delightful train of ideas does 

 this opinion call up!— Ed. 



