THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 253 
beautiful, I thought, by many, it would be preferred 
to our own more homely-attired minstrel, as a pic- 
torial embellishment. The parent birds had built in a 
little basket which a servant had hung outside the win- 
dow to dry, and was forgotten for some days ; when re- 
membered, it was discovered to have been taken pos- 
session of by a pair of these birds. My friend, being 
very partial to the feathered race, took them under 
his especial protection, and, when the young were 
hatched, removed them into the house ; the parents 
soon followed their offspring, and became domesti- 
cated in a very short time. Having an opportunity 
of sending to England, a pair of these dear little 
birds were put into a large cage, and entrusted for 
me to the care of a servant, who had been used to 
them, and understood how they ought to be fed and 
managed. Having been informed of my intended 
present, I was delighted when the man presented 
himself with cage in hand, containing two of those 
lovely birds, but was surprised to observe that one 
never moved off the perch, while the other was so 
timid that he fluttered about if I went near him. 
Not wishing to have them disturbed till they became 
more familiar, they were hung up in a retired part 
z 
