Our First Birds. 117 



suspiciously attentive to the fair Brilliant, and every 

 day tended to confirm our worst surmises, when Judy 

 got up to see what they were really doing with their 

 nests, and descried three fine eggs in each! Our 

 pet Brilliant had turned out an undoubted hen, and 

 thus all our hopes of breeding London fancy birds with 

 black wings and tail and pure golden bodies were for 

 the time at an end ! Nor was this the least part, or 

 the whole of our misfortune; our whole arrangement 

 in the upper aviary was altogether upset, for we had 

 now two hens without a cock, and, in all probability, 

 should soon have three, for master Spangle, there was 

 too much reason to fear, would soon desert poor Lady 

 Grey, of whom he had seemed passionately fond all the 

 winter and spring. Of this danger she appeared to be 

 aware, and so, thinking the best way to reclaim her 

 recreant lord would be to build a nest herself, she 

 immediately set to work and soon followed their ex- 

 ample. Each lady then sat upon her own eggs with- 

 out further molestation, and thus for a time harmony 

 seemed to be restored, whilst at no distant date there 

 appeared every probability that Mr. Spangle would have 

 three wives on his hand, and a numerous family to 

 support. 



In this way time rolled on, when suddenly to our 

 dismay the weather, from being warm and spring-like, 

 became intensely cold, snow falling on the 12th of 

 April, and ice forming in the night of considerable 

 thickness. What, we naturally thought, would become 

 of our young birds under such circumstances? The 

 room in which they were was certainly as warm, or 



