280 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIEDS. 



great veneration, having discovered that birds grew out of 

 the little square pebbles, as he doubtless considered them 

 until one day he perceived that I objected to his lifting from 

 its case a black-looking, ill-shaped piece of paint, that I was 

 even decidedly opposed to his meddling with it ; from that 

 moment that particular piece became a treasure its value 

 so great to him, that hide where I might, it had ever an in- 

 visible glitter, which to his eyes was brighter than any gem ; 

 he would find and hide it from me, and thus I had at least 

 once every day to search the room over for this indispen- 

 sable color. No matter that I threatened him, he coolly 

 dressed his feathers and commenced so dreamy a song as to 

 soothe my rage at once. He became my constant compan- 

 ion, he bathed with me in the morning, he took his dinners 

 with me from my plate, and perched at night close to my head. 

 He sat on my shoulder or head when I worked, and seemed 

 to express his opinion in regard to my progress in bird- 

 making, with quite a connoisseuring air. He grew to be 

 profoundly jealous of all other birds, and if I talked to a 

 fine mocking bird, whose cage hung in my room, he would 

 become so enraged and finally depressed, that I became 

 alarmed I feared he would die. One day I had given this 

 bird some water, my hand was in the cage, the mocking bird 

 was pecking at rny fingers, when with a loud and vicious 

 scream, General Bern dashed from the floor up into the 

 cage, and commenced a violent assault upon the inmate. 

 The struggle was but for a moment he dashed out and I 

 shut the cage door while Bern, mounted on the bed-post, 

 sent forth such yells of fury as I never heard from bird's 

 lungs before. I could not pacify him for a long time seve- 

 ral hours he hid in the shade of the furniture, and would 

 not be induced to come out. The next day the mocker was 

 flying about the room, Bern assailed him, and the fight be- 

 came so desperate, that I was obliged to send the mocking 

 bird away, while my poor Bern was seized with convulsions, 

 and I thought him dead after a few moments. But his time 



