50 The Linnet. 



fluttered round the children till they reached home, when the 

 nest was carried up stairs and placed in the nursery-window. 

 The old birds soon approached the nest and fed the young. 

 This being observed, the nest was afterwards placed on a table 

 in the middle of the room, the window being left open, when 

 the parents came in and fed their young as before. Still farther 

 to try their attachment, the nest was then placed in a cage, but 

 still the old birds returned with food, and towards evening 

 actually perched on the cage, regardless of the noise made by 

 several children. So it went on for several days, when, unfor- 

 tunately, the cage, having been set outside the window, was 

 exposed to a violent shower of rain, and the little brood was 

 drowned in the nest. The poor parent-birds continued hover- 

 ing round the house, and looking wistfully in at the window for 

 several days, and then disappeared altogether." 



