ve brown of the
breast and back, over which is everywhere a lovely suggestion of red.

The home of Virginia, when she came to the bird-room, was a large cage
by the window; that of the cardinal being next to it, equally
commodious, but a little farther from the light. This personage, her
first admirer, made the mistake that larger suitors sometimes fall into,
with equally disastrous results,--he "took things for granted." Between
the cages was a door, but, to try the temper of the birds, it was at
first closed. The cardinal was evidently pleased with his lovely
neighbor; he went as near to her as he could get, and uttered some low
remarks, to which she listened, but did not reply. Later, when a
meal-worm was given to him, he did not eat it, but held it in his beak,
hopped over to her side, tried to get through the wires, and plainly
thought of offering it to her. His disposition appearing so friendly, a
human hand interposed and opened the door. Instantly he went into her
cage, and apparently thinking better of the intended offering he ate it
himself, and proceeded to investigate her food-dishes and try the seed,
then hopped back and forth between the two cages, and at last selected
the perch he preferred and took possession. He paid no attention to her
in the way of recognizing her ownership, which he would naturally do to
another bird; he assumed that whatever belonged to the cardinal family
belonged to him; perhaps he even thought she went with the house,--it
certainly looked as though he did.

But the little dame had a mind of her own. On his first intrusion she
vacated her home and passed into his. When he appeared in his cage she
quietly hopped back; on his return she changed cages with equal
alacrity; when he settled himself on her perch, she was quite contented
on his. There was no dispute, no warfare; she simply said, in manner,
"All right, my friend, select your abode, and I'll take the other. I'm
satisfied with either, but I intend to have it to myself." After awhile
it seemed to strike his lordship that she avoided him, and he resolved
to settle that matter; here making his second mistake, in trying to
force instead of to win. He entered the cage where she sat quietly, and
flew at her. She dodged him and took refuge in the other apartment; he
followed; and thus they rushed back and forth several times, till she
stopped for breath on a lower perch, while he was on an upper one in the
same cage. Then he leane