BRITISH SONG-BIRDS. 217 



of a virtue; such as false honour, for true, man- 

 ly feeling, — or false courage, (which is often the 

 desperation of a coward,) for true bravery. This 

 last never insults, never oifends, is loath to take 

 offence, and is never exerted but in a good cause ; 

 whereas those vices are the component parts of 

 that contemptible thing which men of true honour, 

 and true courage, stigmatize, and that justly, with 

 the name of bully. 



But to retm-n : The green-linnet paid little at- 

 tention to the other birds; all his care seemed cen- 

 tered in his friend the bullfinch. " Green Dick," 

 and " Davie," the names of these friends, (and 

 they knew their names, by always coming when 

 called,) continually singled out each other. Green 

 Dick would follow Da^de all round the room ; if 

 Davie stopped. Green Dick made a peck, and some- 

 times a jerk, as if to make him move onward, or 

 to start him. If Green Dick succeeded, he appear- 

 ed delighted, — ^play evidently being his object. If 

 Green Dick was feeding in any of the cages, and 

 Davie was attacked by any of the other birds. Green 

 Dick instantly flew to his friend, and drove off 

 the assailants. However, we remarked, he never 

 used his bill, but pushed the aggressors away with 

 his breast, as if afraid of hurting them. Green 



