262 OUR NATIVE SONGSTERS. 



home witli tliem in triumph, I perceived with some 

 degree of astonishment both the parents following 

 me, at some distance, and observing my motions 

 in perfect silence. A tli ought then struck me that 

 they might follow me home, and feed the young 

 according to their usual manner. On first enter- 

 ing the door, I held up the nest and made the 

 young ones utter their cry expressive of the desire 

 of food. 1 immediately put the nest of the young 

 in a wire cage, and placed it outside a window." 

 The author then relates that having concealed 

 himself, he saw the parent birds come in, with 

 their bills filled with small caterpillars, and that 

 after a little chattering the young birds were fed. 

 This was continually repeated till they were 

 fledged. The narrator then placed the strongest 

 of the young birds outside the cage, and no sooner 

 did the parents arrive, with their load of food, 

 than seeing one of their family thus emancipated, 

 they fluttered about, making most noisy manifes- 

 tations of joy, both with wing and voice ; until, 

 after a time, this tumult was followed by what 

 might seem a " calm and soothing conversation." 

 They evidently wished their young bird to fly, 

 while he, by a feeble cry, evinced his timidity. 



