280 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIEDS. 
great veneration, having discovered that birds grew ont of 
the little square pebbles, as he doubtless considered them — 
until one day he perceived that I objected to his lifting from 
its case a black-looking, ill-shaped piece of paint, that I was 
even decidedly opposed to his meddling with it ; from that 
moment that particular piece became a treasure — its value 
so great to him, that hide where I might, it had ever an in- 
visible glitter, which to his eyes was brighter than any gem ; 
he would find and hide it from me, and thus I had at least 
once every day to search the room over for this indispen- 
sable color. No matter that I threatened him, he coolly 
dressed his feathers and commenced so dreamy a song as to 
soothe my rage at once. He became my constant compan- 
ion, he bathed with me in the morning, he took his dinners 
with me from my plate, and perched at night close to my head. 
He sat on my shoulder or head when I worked, and seemed 
to express his opinion in regard to my progress in bird- 
making, with quite a connoisseuring air. He grew to be 
profoundly jealous of all other birds, and if I talked to a 
fine mocking bird, whose cage hung in my room, he would 
become so enraged and finally depressed, that I became 
alarmed — I feared he would die. One day I had given this 
bird some water, my hand was in the cage, the mocking bird 
was pecking at ray fingers, when with a loud and vicious 
scream. General Bem dashed from the floor up into the 
cage, and commenced a violent assault upon the inmate. 
The struggle was but for a moment — ^he dashed out and I 
shut the cage door — while Bem, mounted on the bed-post, 
sent forth such yells of fury as I never heard from bird's 
lungs before. I could not pacifj^ him for a long time — seve- 
ral hours — he hid in the shade of the furniture, and would 
not be induced to come out. The next day the mocker was 
flying about the room, Bem assailed him, and the fight be- 
came so desj)erate, that I was obliged to send the mocking 
bird away, while my poor Bem was seized with convulsions, 
and I thought him dead after a few moments. But his time 
