AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 161 



not know the gender of my pet but certain dainty ways make me think 

 of it and speak of it as Ladybird. 



Is the bird happy? Yes, if her daily song and her affection for her 

 friends tell anything of her frame of mind. She is a source of constant 

 pleasure and study to us at home and we delight in trying to interpret 

 her different notes. For instance a long shrill note sounding much like 

 "come here, come here" tells us she is lonesome and wants someone 

 to talk to her, sit near her or take her out for recreation. She has 

 another call for food while her alarm note of "Quit, Quit, Quit" will 

 bring the whole household to her relief. This is invariably her call if 

 the cat approaches her cage but of the dog she has no fear. Often 

 when out of the cage she will alight on his head or back. 



See knows every member of the family and is perfectly fearless with 

 us. Sometimes 1 will put my hand into the cage and ask her if she 

 wants to come out. Nearly always she will hop into it and nestle there 

 till out of the cage. Then she is ready for any division and she seems 

 to expect to be entertained as a visitor too, manifesting impatience, 

 sometimes scolding if she is not satisfied with the attention given her. 



She answers readily to her name going from one friend to another 

 as she is called. She will perch on the finger of one and preen her 

 pretty feathers, fly to another and pause long enough to sing her Blue- 

 bird song, then alighting on my desk she will make a queer medley of 

 the pens, pencils, etc. She examines every new thing and if it does 

 not please the little midget's fancy she will charge at it with rumpled 

 feathers and snapping bill. She has her playthings too. Toothpicks, 

 a gaily colored marble and a tiny bell are her familiar toys. 



She is quite vain and will stand many minutes before a glass admir- 

 ing herself in different poses. She is shy of strangers and will protest 

 loudly if we attempt to take her from the cage when anyone strange to 

 her is in the room. 



Here cage is her home and she objects to a change of quarters. Put 

 her in another cage and she will lament continuously till put back to her 

 accustomed place. 



Bkrtik M. Phillips 



Oxford, Maine. 



