152 
OUR BIRDS IN WINTER. 
As soon as I became accustomed to the 
warm atmosphere, and could control myself, 
I mounted upon the horizontal bar across the 
cage, and took a survey of my surroundings ; 
and I must confess I was almost powerless 
with astonishment, and I am not ashamed to 
say it, dismay. For the walls of the room 
were covered with cages and creeping plants, 
and in different places were placed glass boxes, 
containing water, in which were growing the 
plants that we see in our ponds and streams ; 
there were also swimming, full of life and ap- 
parent contentment, some of our most famil- 
iar fishes. I said I was dismayed, but it was 
not at seeing these things, but at observing 
some of the birds that were standing in the 
sunlight trimming their feathers. They were 
of the most brilliant plumage conceivable, had 
green heads, red bodies, and long green and 
blue and red tails. 
‘‘ Oh, what handsome birds they must have 
been ! ’’ exclaimed young Miss Chick-a-dee, giv- 
ing a sort of half-dissatisfied look at her at- 
tendant swain, who was, as we well know, 
clad in a very sober dress indeed. He 
