282 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



ing in the fields and had caught from the grass some frag- 

 ments of burr. These "W was brushing off from my 



dress, when we were attracted by a singular hissing sound, 

 resembling that made by a snake. We turned, Bern stood 

 upon a stick of fire-wood, one of several which lay in the 

 corner, his body straightened almost horizontally with the 

 stick, his feathers erect on his whole body, the wings droop- 

 ing below his feet, his eyes distended and glistening with 

 the fire and animosity of a snake, the bill turned slightly 

 upward and partially open, while the hissing continued, 

 increasing in vehemence with every movement made by 



W . If he approached him with his hand, Bern would 



dart at it and peck at it with the greatest violence, and seemed 



to think W had not only caused me to absent myself 



from him, but had now become my foe, consequently he must 



protect me. Ever after, he treated W with the most 



malignant expressions of dislike, never permitting him to 

 touch me in any possible way. Yet he afterwards, when 



our friend J. W. F visited as, exhibited towards him all 



the confidential affection with which he treated us making 

 it a point to visit him in his room every morning, to inspect 

 his toilet, and going to sleep on his shoulder or head at night. 

 But Bern became too human, his little body could not be 

 expected long to enshroud the soul which had been develop- 

 ing in him. His eye had grown too large, and his intelli- 

 gence fearful. He had to suffer too much as men do, and we 

 loved him too much. "Who could have resisted him ? Some- 

 times, when I grew sick or sad, and would throw myself on 

 a lounge and weep childishly, as I will sometimes, then my 

 poor Bern would come to me and peck gently at my fingers, 

 gradually increasing the force of his blow until I noticed and 

 spoke to him. One day I would not speak to him his 

 efforts were all unheeded I would not be roused. His dis- 

 tress was pitiable, his rage unbounded; he imagined that 

 something behind me was injuring me, he scolded and beat 

 the cushions with his wings and bill ; he caressed me by 



