3140 Birds. 



dence, and delicacy she possessed before the intimacy with Patrick 

 sprang up, but certes she is not over modest now ! From her perch 

 in the plane tree she will drop down upon a lump of bread and but- 

 ter, as an eagle drops upon his doomed prey. She takes possession 

 of either the upper or lower story of the coffee-shop, and struts about 

 with as busy an air as if she were both cook, scullery-maid and waiter 

 all in one. She will either eat bread and butter from Patrick's fin- 

 gers, or sup the coffee out of his cup. She will sit in his lap without 

 a blush, and kiss his hand " before folk." Now, you might find some 

 excuse for such levity as this in a young, romping, girlish bird of un- 

 sophisticated life, but " Dick M we know to be the mother of at least 

 fifty to sixty children ! And I believe that that mark on the head 

 which I told you distinguishes her, is nothing less than the bump of 

 philoprogenitiveness ! She has three broods of young in the course 

 of a season. As soon as her offspring have ripened into the era of 

 bread and butter, she asserts greatly increased claims upon the coffee- 

 shop, so that at this time there may truly and literally be said to be a 

 great run upon Patrick's establishment. It is a continuous flight and 

 counterflight between the bird's nest and the breakfast shop for two 

 whole hours of a morning ; in some journeys, " Dick " contenting her- 

 self with what may properly be termed a crumb, and at other times 

 carrying off what in Westmoreland would be called " a shiver She 

 seems to have no compunction in being beholden to Patrick's store 

 for the whole means of subsistence for herself and numerous progeny. 

 She appears to think and act as if the breakfast-shop were wheeled to that 

 favourite corner of the Square for her special use and behoof. Every 

 morning it comes — every morning she feeds herself and her offspring, 

 and the liberal soul of a coffee-man never cries "Hold, enough ! " Some- 

 times, in winter, when the cold winds whistle through the streets, and 

 darkness has set in so thick throughout the night, that feeble, strug- 

 gling daylight can hardly penetrate the murky gloom — sometimes, at 

 that hungry season, if the old man with his coffee-shop should be a 

 few minutes behind his time, waiting for daylight — at such seasons, 

 and under such circumstances, " Dick " has often set off from Tavi- 

 stock-square, and gone through Tavistock-place, and the whole length 

 of Compton-strcet into Judd-street, to meet her morning companion 

 and friend ! When " Dick " has, at the end of this journey, saluted 

 Patrick with a chirp, she perches herself either beneath or upon the 

 awning of the moving coffee-shop, and so rides home ! This has not 

 been done merely once and casually, but frequently and regularly as 

 Patrick has been behind his usual time ! 



