126 THE GOLDFINCH. 



Perched on the outside of the cage, he inspected 

 it through the grating, and the examination 

 evidently confirmed him in his suspicions, as he 

 finally flew off to a neighbouring tree, and waited 

 there till his lady companion chose to rejoin him ; 

 they then disappeared together, and were thought 

 of no more. Nearly two months had passed away 

 when the hen goldfinch again made her appear- 

 ance. During that lapse of time she had been 

 busily employed, had built her nest, laid her 

 eggs, and hatched and reared her young. These 

 particulars of her history were fairly surmised 

 from the prese^ state of her affairs : now she 

 came, not attended by a male bird, but by four 

 young birds, evidently her own brood. She 

 entered the cage as before, and fed on the seeds, 

 inviting her companions, by her example, to do 

 the same ; but they had inherited the wary temper 

 of their sire, and prudently kept on the safe side 

 of the airy pavilion. The mother bird continued 

 to feed awhile on the seeds ; but finding she 

 could not induce her young ones to share her 

 chosen mansion with her, she eventually aban- 

 doned it, and took her flight to return no more : 

 doubtless she cast 



" Many a longing, lingering look behind." 

 Whether so blithe a creature could breathe a 

 sigh of regret as she relinquished her fondly- 



