MY PET WOOD THKtTSHES. 201 



sessed a fine male Grosbeak, (the common Eed Bird,) from 

 whose parental sympathies, she managed to make a very 

 pretty income. I have frequently seen him with three or 

 four young birds of different though analagous species, un- 

 der his charge at the same time. He raised many fine birds 

 for her during the year, and even possessed sufficient sa- 

 gacity to adapt the food, in a certain degree, to the different 

 varieties. I have known her to refuse offers of considerable 

 sums for this extraordinary bird. Instances resembling this 

 are frequent in Natural History ; but Brownie's is the only 

 case in which I have heard of a young bird volunteering 

 to undertake such a ministration. 



The story of my other pet is a short but sad one. I was 

 walking through the summer grove in which Brownie was 

 born, early one morning, when in passing near a tree, in 

 which I had observed a Thrush's nest, I saw a young "Wood 

 Thrush that had no doubt been just helped down from the 

 nest by the mother, hopping on the ground at the foot of 

 the tree. I saw that it was almost fully fledged, and walked 

 towards it very gently. It stopped as it saw me, and draw- 

 ing up one foot in the attitude of careless repose, turned up 

 its dark, bright eyes, and looked calmly and softly into my 

 face. I was astonished that it made no attempt to escape, 

 when evidently so well able to do so, and paused a moment. 

 The little creature turned back its bill and lightly trimmed 

 a feather of its wing ; then looking up at me again with the 

 same indescribably confiding softness, remained motionless, 

 as if awaiting me to act. I stooped and took it gently in my 

 hand, it made not the slightest movement, even now to es- 

 cape, but in a moment nestled itself sweetly in my open 

 hand, and still looked into my face with its lovely eyes, as 

 confidingly as any seraph might have done, that had waked 

 on a sudden, on a smiling earth, and thought it heaven. I 

 felt the warm tears gush to my eyes, for I had never before 

 seen that fearless innocence of childhood, that can outstare 

 the lightning, so touchingly and beautifully illustrated. The 



