A BIRD-STORY.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Many years ago, I kept a canary in a cage which was suspended by a thickish cord in a window recess. I had noticed that the bird seemed to eat an enormous auantity, for its eced-trougb was al-rays empty whenever I
happened to look at it; but I paid very little attention to the fact, as I was usually out all day except on Sundays. One Sunday morning, however, the bird appearing very much excited and singing lustily, I looked up and observed a mouse creeping along the cornice until it reached the cord of the cage. Slowly climbing down the cord, it got through the bars of the cage, entered the seed-trough, and then tucked in with the greatest gusto, the canary, meanwhile, carolling as merrily as ever. In a few minutes the mouse retreated the way it came, on which the bird immediately ceased singing The cause of the disappearance of the seed being now apparent, I watched the same proceedings take place on many subsequent occasions, until one day Tabby, the cat, lying in wait for her prey, proved too much for master mouse, who was, doubtless, becoming corpulent on such high living. Thus robbed of her strange companion, the poor canary was never know to sing again.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Shiba Park, Tokyo, October 111h. W. B. MASON.
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