FIDELITY IN BIRDS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1
SIR,—I think the many bird-lovers who frequent your columns will like to share the following experience with me. I walked over this morning to call on a friend whose wife is a skilful ornithologist, and has the brightest and healthiest aviaries known to me. I was particularly struck with one of them, that for foreign finches, in which some fifty birds from all quarters of the globe were flitting about, and prattling to one another on the swinging perches. They were of all colours, generally very brilliant, and almost all unknown to me. Amongst those that attracted me most was a gentle little hen, almost white, a " zebra finch," the mistress told me, which she had got through an advertisement in Exchange and Mart from a perfect stranger. Rather more than a week after the arrival of the " zebra finch," she had another letter from her correspondent, saying that a " Bengakse," who had shared the cage of the " zebra finch," had shown such evident signs of distress ever since their separation, that if she would put 2s. 6d. into the poor-box, and accept the disconsolate bird, he should be sent off at once. She gladly complied with the condition, and in due course the "Bengalese" arrived, and was turned into the finch aviary. Here, amongst the fifty strangers, he at once singled out his lost love, who was sitting meekly on a perch in a distant corner, and flew straight up to her side. She seemed equally delighted, and they rubbed bills and shoulders, and in the intervals of such birdlike caressings prattled away to each other as though recounting their respective adventures since that sad parting ten days before. To-day there was not a brighter bird in the aviary than that " Bengalese," or one more unlike his faithful mate in plumage
or form.—I am, Sir, &c., THOMAS HUGHES. Hawthorndale, Bracknell, Easter Monday.
P.S.—The cuckoo was heard here for the first time this morning ; a cheery greeting for the holiday-folk.
Previous page
