The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-07-07
THE ROSY SHIELD.
BY OLIVE THoRNE MILLER.

One of the most winning inhabitants
of nv bird room last winter bore on his
snow-white breast pointed shield OF
beautiful rose-color, and the same rich
hue lined his wings. With these excep-
tons his dress was of sober black and
white, though so attrsctively disposed
that he was an extremely pretty bird
the ose-breasted grosbesk. Nor was
beauty his only attraction; he was a Pc
culiar character, in every way different
from his neighbors. He was dignltied,
vet his dignity was not like that OF
thrush; he was calm and cool, yet not
after the manner of an orchard oriole.
He possessed lovely gentleness OF dis
position, and repose OF manner unparal-
ieled among my birds. Vulgar restlessness
was unknown to him; flying about for
mere exercise or hopping from perch to
perch to pass away time he scorned. The
frivolous way common to smaller birds OF
going for each seed as they want it was
beneath him. When he wished to eat he
did so like civilized being, that is he
took his stand by the seed cup ana
STAYED there strictly attending to the
business in hand till he had finished,
leaving neat pile of canary-seed shells
in one spot, instead of the general litter
common to cages. The meal over he was
ready to 90 out OF the cage; place him
self comfortably in one OF his favorite
corners and remain for a long time,
amused with the life of the room and the
doings in the street, on both OF which he
seemed to look with the eye OF phlloso-
pher. In the same deliberate and character
istic way he disposed of meal worm, or
a bit of beef which he enjoyed. He never
bolted it outright like a thrush, nor beat
it to death like a tanager, nor held 1t
under a toe and took it by mouthfuls,
like an oriole; he quietly worked it back
and forth between his nnandibles till re-
duced to pulp when he swallowed 1t.
The bearer of the rosy shield was pre-
eminsatly a creature of habit Very
early in his life with us he selected GER
tain resting places for his private use,
and all the months Of his stay he never
changed them. The one preferred above
all others was on the middle bar OF ths
window-sash in the corner, and noticed
that his choice was always a corner. In
this sunny spot he spent most OF the
time, closely pressed against the window
casing, generally looking out at the
trees and the spsrrow-life upon them,
and regarding every passsr-by In the
street, not in an unhappy way, but ap-
parently considering the whole panora-
ma for his entertainment. When events
in the room interested him, his post OF
observation was a bracket that held
small cage, where he often sat an hour
at a time in perfect silence, looking at
everybody, concerned about everything
his rosy shield and white breast effect
lively set off by the dark paper behind
him.
Although thus quiet and silent, the
grosbeak was far from being stupid. He
had decided opinions, and tastes as well
defined as anybody's. For example, when
he came to me his cage stood on shelf
next to that occupied by two orchard
orioles, and he was never pleased with
the position. He was hardly restless
even then, while suffering what he plain
ly considered q grievance, but he was
uneasy. saw that something was wrong
and GU sssed at once what it was; his upper
perch was three inches lower than that
in the next cage, and to have neighbor
higher than himself is always an offense
to bird. As soon as I raised his cage
he was satisfied on that score, and no
more disturbed me in the early morning
by shutting about on his perch and try
ing 10 fly upward
But still something was not quite to
his mind, and he showed it by constant