THE GOLDFINCH. 125 



vote, which, it must be admitted, is perfectly 

 proper and correct. 



Early in the spring of 1827, it happened that a 

 bird had been lost from a cage, at the residence 

 of a gentleman in Exmouth. The cage was 

 still left hanging up, with its door open, in the 

 passage entrance to a back court, and the seed 

 left by the late inhabitant still remained in the 

 trough. One morning, it seems that a female 

 goldfinch, looking out for a nestling place, saw 

 and admired the little wire-bound mansion hang- 

 ing between earth and sky : she entered it and 

 fed freely on the seeds: the door was closed on 

 her ; but as it was perceived she was a hen bird, 

 she was afterwards liberated. She then flew away, 

 and the owner of the cage had no idea of ever 

 seeing her again: in about two hours, however, 

 she returned, again entered the cage, and fed 

 as freely as before, was again shut in, and again 

 liberated. These visits she repeated daily for a 

 considerable time ; she was then missing for se- 

 veral days, and her entertainers began to think 

 she had taken her final leave of the cage. At 

 length she once more made her appearance, ac- 

 companied by a male bird ; she entered as usual, 

 fed on the seeds, and seemed to invite her com- 

 panion to enter also ; but he was of a less con- 

 fiding nature, and warily declined the invitation. 



