Who delights not in a bird? Yet how few among us find any pleasure inreading of them in natural hitale books! The living bird, viewedclosely and fearless of our presence, is so much more to the mind thanall that is written--so infinitely more engaging in its spontaneousgladness, its brilliant vivacity, and its motions so swift and true andyet so graceful! Even leaving out the melody, what a charm it would addto our homes if birds were permitted to take the part there for whichNature designed them--if they were the "winged wardens" of our gardensand homes as well as of our fields. Bird-biographies are always in ourbookcases; and the bird-form meets our sight everywhere in decorativeart Eastern and Western; for its aerial beauty is without parallel innature; but the living birds, with the exception of the unfortunatecaptives in cages, are not with us.

A robin blackbreast in a cage Puts all heaven in a rage,