THE CANARY AND LOVE
BIRDS.

 

OOK at my Canary bird! Is he not beautiful, and does he not sing
charmingly? He is a Belgian and very clever. He will sit on my
shoulder, and if I do not take any notice of him, he catches my hair in his beak
and pulls it gently. Then I turn my head round, and he kisses me with open
beak and outstretched wings. Sometimes he will put a hemp-seed on my lip.
He is very fond of one himself, and he wishes me to share his treat. He doesn’t
_ know that little girls do not eat hemp-seed.

One very cold winter, a poor hungry Robin flew in at the open window, and
perched on Dicky’s cage. The two birds chirped at each other, and then what
do you think my canary did? He brought a seed to the bars of his cage, and
gave it to the Robin, and went on feeding poor redbreast for some time. Nurse
said she could not have believed it if she had not seen it; but it was quite true.

The Love Birds are Harold’s. Our sailor-cousin brought them home for
him from Sierra Leone. They do not talk or sing, they have only a call-note; but

they are tame, gentle birds, and Harold is very fond of them.

Aunt Jane says we may learn much from these humble friends. Pussy, she
says, will teach us to be watchful and clean; indeed, she keeps her fur much nicer

than I can my frock; Hector will teach obedience and fidelity; White Surrey,

ah! we

 

gentleness; Flit; contentment; Dicky, cheerfulness; and the parrots
may learn from them to use the best words we know, and ¢hey are kind and

gentle ones. This is what we may learn from our “ HousEHOLD PETs.”
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