other, but not provoke it. If Prussia, therefore, is determined to conciliate Russia, Austria is bound by Prussia's backwardness, and voluntarily bound. Thus evaporates all the hope entertained by our daily press of Austria's co-operation. Indeed we have a promise of Austria's co-operation if Russia should march to Constantinople, which Russia assuredly has no intention of doing; and we have at the same time a threat of Austria and Prussia opposing in the attempt to get any securities for his future good conduct from the Czar. Such is the state of the question.

MY AVIARY.

THE BLACKBIRD.

It has occurred to me to put together a few observations which I have myself made respecting birds, within the last few years, in Italy; tending, in my opinion, to show that some of them, at least, possess a higher degree of sensibility and intelligence than that which the pride of man is, in general, willing to assign to them. My Aviary was composed of a wire grating some feet high, long and wide; fixed outside a large window of the second story of the dwelling-house; which window was that of a closet dedicated to the birds, and serving as their house, the grating being their open air. I had in it at the period of which I write, a blackbird, a nightingale, a blackcap, several canaries, and that most rare and precious acquisition to an aviary, the solitary sparrow. All, except the blackcap, had been taken from the nest; and I flatter myself the sequel will show that there is not a greater mistake than the supposition that birds are necessarily miserable in the domesticated state; I mean such as have not had their habits previously formed to liberty and the fear of man, if these terms do not neutralise each other, like many other combinations with the term liberty. There is an idea generally entertained in England, and partially here, that nightingales will not sing in cages. Never, while memory lasts, shall I forget the first proof I received of the erroneousness of this idea. Within the closet, which was floored with brick, was kept a little enclosed bed of earth, sufficient to preserve a very large branch of ilex fresh for many weeks; so that even when the weather did not permit of the more delicate birds remaining out, they had sprays and leaves to beguile their fancies; and their food, drink, and the scarcely less necessary article their baths, were also kept there with the same view. As the habits of the various species of birds I have named all differ very considerably, there were various open cages containing such little accessories as are peculiar to each; except that, as the habits of the nightingale are particularly reserved and unsocial, and as he takes his repose in the day-time, his cage was placed in a dark corner, and covered

over with branches, while the door was tied just to such dimensions as to let him pass and to exclude the larger birds; and in that solitude he passed away many hours of the day, probably meditating,-why not?-the subjects of his most sweet harmonies. I borrow that word, instead of the more general one of melodies, from M. de Lamartine; because, whether from mental association or not with his exquisite "harmonies," there is to me a charm, an enchantment, a creative power in the very word that seems to produce that which it is only intended to express. The canaries had several cages, with a complete layette in each: and not the least interesting of my observations was that, while all the other cages, except that of the nightingale, became in turn usurped by each and all, these were inviolably respected, even when it was not the breeding season.

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My blackbird, my beautiful, my proud, my splendid Leo,how do I yet see thy bright golden eye revolving and kindling at my approach! and how does my ear yet vibrate to thy never failing salutation of "bene mio te vedo lè!"* and my heart, with thy melancholy "hist, hist," almost a sob, when I passed thee by; and which has so often brought me away from other occupations to take my place beside thy cage, with a book or my work. When the weather was too hot or too cold for me to stay much in the aviary, I sometimes brought, now one now another, sometimes more of the birds into the rooms I occupied. On these occasions the cages were placed on the broad sill of the bay window of the immense salon; and the songs which that blackbird poured forth from thence were heard at the distance of two miles; being poured down into that cup of beauty, whose sides enclosing, prevented their dispersion. In England we say the blackbird's whistle may be fancied into "come hither, come hither! in Italy it is interpreted into "bene mio te vedo!" and, with such assiduous teaching as my Leo received in his lisping days from the kindest, best, and most guileless of all the old priests that ever exercised their paternal bumps upon "dumb animals," if indeed those who discourse sweet music can be called dumb, it was no difficult matter to make the interpretation clear, even to a stranger's ear. I must, however, mention that besides this human teaching, Leo's song was far more varied, and therefore still more agreeable than that of blackbirds in general in their native state; in which state I believe each species of bird adheres as strictly to the notes, as to the habits of its kind; whereas, excluded from those natural associates, and forming, if not friendships, at least intimacies and companionship with others, and constantly hearing their notes, each, while preserving the generic fond, as it were, of their own song, modifies and diversifies the variations with those of others, so as infinitely to improve each other.

Through the large salon I was obliged to pass into my own particular English sitting room, as I loved to call it, having fitted it up * My treasure! I behold you-yes!

in English style, and I think I may with truth aver, that never, although my Leo's cage was ever replete with everything that could contribute to his health or happiness-never did I once enter that salon without his beautiful head being stretched forward, and his bright glance sent out sideways to ascertain if it was I who entered, and, when he was convinced, without receiving the welcoming salute I have above mentioned, followed by the note of lamentation as I passed on. I well remember one day that I had the honour of a morning visit from one who now sits in rule over the destinies of his country, his being so struck with the unmistakably reproachful lamentations of my bird, as I withdrew my attention from him to bestow it on my cultivated friend, whose conversation was a treat of the highest order, and his kind heart and poetic temperament not enduring to be the cause of pain to any one or anything, that he arose and insisted on terminating his visit for the time, saying in accents that came from his heart of hearts, "I would there were anything on earth, even a bird, to love me as that bird loves you." These lines will probably, nay certainly, never meet his eye, and yet I cannot resist the indulgence to my own feelings of saying, "If thou art not loved by all who know thee, as thou couldst in thy high-toned imagination desire, it is because few are capable of believing, still fewer of understanding the depths of benevolence, of Christian charity, and practical goodness that combine with talent so brilliant and poetic as thine own!"

There was a beautiful garden close to the house, and to that garden my Leo was almost daily permitted to take his flight; sometimes from the window, sometimes from the cage carried out before the hall-door, and sometimes following me step by step down the stairs like a dog! and never once in the course of two summers did he extend his flight one perch beyond; although the view from the tops of the high trees from whence he used to answer to any well-known voice, and sometimes let himself drop prone down by my side, as I sat beneath, might well have tempted him to do so. He liked one of the servants better than the rest, the one who always cleaned out the aviary, brought the water, &c., and it became that man's office to bring him home in the evenings when I was generally engaged. Although there can be little doubt that in those delicious, dewy, balmy evenings of burning days his perch in the very heart of a fragrant orange or a pomegranate tree was infinitely preferable to his cage or aviary, yet never did he refuse to betray his hiding place by answering to the wellknown whistle or call of his name; and after more or less coquetting from tree to tree, according to the fineness of the evening, but never further or higher than to invite pursuit, and torment his pursuer, never did he fail finally to hop into his cage and suffer himself to be carried home.

INDEX

TO THE THIRTY-FIFTH VOLUME.