A JEALOUS BULLFINCH. 359 



finch whioli went the way of most pets, and perhaps a happier way than that which would 

 • have been travelled. in their neglected state : — 



" The loss of our pet, General Bern, was deeply felt. There was a sad vacancy in our 

 house again which we did not soon expect to have filled. However, one morning, while I yet 

 wept for General Bem, W came in with a small cage in his hand, containing a BuUfinch. 



"'See!' said he, ' I have brought a fine Bullfinch to cheer you; he sings very sweetly 

 several German airs, and it will fill Bem's place a little for you.' 



" ' No, no, I cannot let him stay ; no bird can take Bem's pLace ; I do not want another bird 

 to love ; take him away.' 



" ' Poor little Bobby, I found him in the room of a rough fellow who did not care for him,, 

 and who gladly exchanged the sullen bird, as he called him, for some trinket. A little girl I 

 saw there told me how sweetly he sang, and I determined to have him at any rate. Must I 

 take the poor bird away ? He will be so startled among my clamorers that he will not 

 sing to me.' 



" '"^Vell, let the fellow stay, though I assure you I cannot love Mm.' 



" So he hung the bird-cage on a naU in my room, and I tried to turn my back upon him. 

 I could not help observing, however, that he seemed to relish the glow of my wood fire and' 

 the warmth of the room greatly, and was commencing to dress his feathers, and to jump about 

 m his little cage with quite a cheerful air. 



" I thought him at all events a sensible bird, and determined to give him a larger cage 

 duriiiu' the day. I then discovered that he had been so unfortunate as to lose three of 

 his toes, perhaps in the struggles he had made when he had been taken prisoner, by means of 

 the deceitful bird-limed twig, so that he was almost incapable of resistance, if one chose 

 to catch him while in the cage, and then he would only crouch in a corner, and with his bright 

 black eye and beseeching chirp pray to be left at peace. 



"For a week or more I took but little notice of him. only admiring his iiTesistible 

 song, for he became so cheerful as to sing to us once or twice during the twenty -four hours. ^ 



"One afternoon, however, I caught myself mimicking the droll whistle with which he 

 would break his song, and which had precisely the sound we expressed by the whew-o-o-o 

 when we make what we know to be some ludicrous mistake. 



"He instantly repeated it more slowly. I tried again and again till he seemed satisfied, 

 and commenced tbe fii'st bar of a strain of German music, and then paused. I looked up, 

 ' What, do you mean to teach me your song ? ' 



" He repeated the notes, and I essayed to reproduce them ; my efl'ort, however, seemed to 

 amuse the young master, for he drew out to its fullest extent his whe\v-o-o-o-o, but instantly 

 commenced the bar again. By this time I had become thoroughly interested, and not liking 

 to be laughed at, made a more successful effort. This time Bob seemed more satisfied, 

 and added a few more notes. "WTien I had achieved these, he repeated all and put me to the 

 test, and so on through his whole song ; every few moments, however, evidently enjoying 

 the fantastic mistakes whicli I made, and uttering his whistle in the most provokingly 

 sarcastic tone. I was greatly amused, and related the story with great gusto on my husband's 

 return. 



"The next morning when I came near the cage, the bird came as near me as he could 

 and commenced a pleasant chirping, which evidently meant ' Good-morning to you.' This 

 I returned in tones resembling his as nearly as I could, and it finally ended by my taking the 

 young gentleman into my hand and feeding him. He took his seeds from my fingers from 



that time every morning, for two or three weeks. Then we were to leave C • for some time, 



and I sent him back to W , congratulating myself that I was yet heart-whole as far 



as Bobby was concerned. 



" In about a month we returned, and we called to see the birds. What was my surprise- 

 when Master Bullfinch instantly descended from his perch to the corner of the cage nearest to 

 my face, and after the first cliirp of greeting commenced singing in a sweet undertone, hover- 

 ing and turning, his feathers lifted, his eyes gleaming, and his whole expression one of the 



