218 TREATISE ON 



Dick knew each individual of the family in the 

 house quite well; but was attached to one in par- 

 ticular. He would go to her in preference to any- 

 one else. If she went into the room where his 

 cage hung, he welcomed her by bunching up his 

 feathers in a particular manner, and by a cheerful 

 note, which he used to none of the other members 

 of the family. If she advanced to the cage, closed 

 her hands, and raised or pushed them forwards as 

 if to hit him, he showed no alarm, but sprung to 

 meet her, and appeared quite pleased; if she put 

 her finger between the wu*es, and drew it quick- 

 ly back, as if frightened, he was highly delighted ; 

 but if she allowed her finger to remain for him to 

 peck at, he drew his feathers close to his body and 

 seemed greatly disappointed. If she went into the 

 room in a hurry, to fetch any thing without pay- 

 ing the accustomed attention to him, he took the 

 pet, drew himself up, and clapped his feathers close 

 to his body, and, though she went to him in the 

 hope of reconciliation before leaving the apartment, 

 he would take no notice of her. But a little after, 

 if she returned, the coldness was all forgotten, and 

 he welcomed her as before. 



At the end of nearly five years, Davie the bull- 

 finch died, during the night. The next morning 



