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diff --git a/25292.txt b/25292.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..31e22bd --- /dev/null +++ b/25292.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6103 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of In Nesting Time, by Olive Thorne Miller + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: In Nesting Time + +Author: Olive Thorne Miller + +Release Date: May 2, 2008 [EBook #25292] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN NESTING TIME *** + + + + +Produced by Robin Monks, Joseph Cooper, Leonard Johnson +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + +IN NESTING TIME + +BY + +OLIVE THORNE MILLER + +[Illustration] + +BOSTON AND NEW YORK +HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY +The Riverside Press, Cambridge +1893 + + +Copyright, 1888, +BY H. M. MILLER. + +_All rights reserved._ + +_The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A._ +Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton & Company. + + +_"Very few people have the least idea what wild creatures are like. +Their notion generally is to shoot them, and then pick them up for +examination; which is the same thing as if some being of superior race, +seeing children at play, were to shoot a few at long range, and then +turn them over and describe them and consider himself learned in their +structure, habits, and appearance."_--JEAN INGELOW. + + + + +INTRODUCTORY. + + +The sketches of bird manners and customs in this little collection are +the record of careful observation, and scrupulously true in every +particular. The facts may not all be new to Science, but since they are +genuine studies from life, and each bird whose acquaintance I make is as +truly a discovery to me as if he were totally unknown to the world, I +venture to hope that lovers of birds may find in these pages real, live, +individuals in feathers, honestly "brothers of ours." + +OLIVE THORNE MILLER. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + PAGE + +I. BABY BIRDS 1 + + Purple Crow Blackbird. _Quiscalus quiscula._ + Redwing Blackbird. _Ageloeus phoeniceus._ + Yellow-Throated Warbler. _Dendroica dominica._ + Baltimore Oriole. _Icterus galbula._ + White-Bellied Nuthatch. _Sitta carolinensis._ + American Robin. _Merula migratoria._ + Phoebe. _Sayornis phoebe._ + +II. BIRD-STUDY IN A SOUTHERN STATE 19 + + Great White Heron. _Ardea occidentalis._ + Bald Eagle. _Haliaeetus leucocephalus._ + Wilson's Tern. _Sterna hirundo._ + Ring Plover. _AEgialitis hiaticula._ + +III. THE MOCKING-BIRD'S NEST 33 + + Mocking-Bird. _Mimus polyglottos._ + +IV. A TRICKSY SPIRIT 65 + + Mocking-Bird. _Mimus polyglottos._ + +V. THE "WISE BLUEBIRD" 95 + + Bluebird. _Sialia sialis._ + +VI. THE GOLDEN-WING 113 + + Golden-Wing Woodpecker. _Colaptes auratus._ + +VII. A STORMY WOOING 129 + + Orchard Oriole. _Icterus spurius._ + +VIII. FLUTTERBUDGET 145 + + Brown Thrush, or Thrasher. _Harporhynchus rufus._ + +IX. "O WONDROUS SINGERS" 159 + + Wilson's Thrush. _Turdus fuscescens._ + Gray-Cheeked Thrush. _Turdus aliciae._ + +X. A BIRD OF AFFAIRS 173 + + Blue-Jay. _Cyanocitta cristata._ + +XI. THE BLUE-JAY AGAIN 189 + +XII. VIRGINIA'S WOOING 205 + + Virginia Cardinal. _Cardinalis cardinalis._ + +XIII. FRIENDSHIP IN FEATHERS 221 + + Scarlet Tanager. _Piranga erythromelas._ + English Goldfinch. _Fringilla carduelis._ + +XIV. THE ROSY SHIELD 237 + + Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. _Habia ludoviciana._ + +XV. THE BIRD OF MYSTERY 251 + + Birds of Paradise. _Paradisaea._ + + + + +BABY BIRDS. + + And oft an unintruding guest, + I watched her secret toils from day to day; + How true she warped the moss to form the nest, + And modeled it within with wood and clay. + And by and by, like heath-bells gilt with dew, + There lay her shining eggs as bright as flowers, + Ink-spotted over, shells of green and blue: + And there I witnessed in the summer hours + A brood of Nature's minstrels chirp and fly, + Glad as the sunshine and the laughing sky. + + JOHN CLARE. + + + + +I. + +BABY BIRDS. + + +"Ears have they, but they hear not," may be said of all the world. +Tragedies and comedies go on continually before us which we neither see +nor hear; cries of distress and prattle of infants, songs of love and +screams of war, alike fall upon deaf ears, while we calmly discuss the +last book or the news from Borriboo-lah-Gha, as completely oblivious as +if all this stirring life did not exist. + +To be sure these things take place in the "upper stories," as Thoreau +says, but they are none the less audible, and one is tempted to believe +that bird voices are on a scale to which the untrained ear is not +attuned. Once learn to hear, and nature is full of life and interest. +The home affairs of our little neighbors whose modest cottage swings on +a branch of the elm beside the door are more attractive than those of +our fellow creatures in the house across the way partly because they are +so open in their lives that our attentions do not seem intrusive, but +more because their ways are not so familiar. We can guess how men and +women pass their time, but we cannot guess why the cat-bird always sings +from the middle of one particular shrub, nor where he has hidden his +dusky spouse and nest full of babies; and after we know him we are eager +to discover. + +Upon reaching the charming home of a friend in Massachusetts last June, +almost the first thing I saw was a pair of purple crow blackbirds in +trouble. First arose a medley of queer husky tones, clamorous baby +cries, and excited oriole voices, with violent agitation of the leaves +of a tall elm, ending with the sudden exit of a blackbird, closely +followed by a pair of Baltimore orioles. The pursued flew leisurely +across the lawn, plainly in no haste, and not at all with the air of the +thief and nest robber he is popularly supposed to be. Clearly the elm +belonged by bird custom to the orioles, for their pretty swinging +hammock could be seen partly hidden by leaves, about halfway up the +tree, and what business other than that of marauder had the sombre-hued +enemy upon it? + +Now the blackbird has no secrets in his life; the whole world is welcome +to know his affairs, and in fact he proclaims them loudly himself. It +was easy to see that he had anxiety enough of his own just then, +without thinking of disturbing his neighbors, for he was engaged in the +task of introducing his young family to the world, and every bird +watcher knows that is attended with almost as many difficulties as is +the same operation in what we call "society." + +If the youngster escape the dangers peculiar to the nest, the devouring +jaws of squirrel or owl, the hands of the egg thief, being shaken out by +the wind, smothered by an intrusive cow-bunting, or orphaned by the gun +of a "collector;" if, neither stolen, eaten, thrown out, nor starved, he +arrives at the age that his wings begin to stir and force him out of the +leafy green tent of his birth, a new set of dangers meet him at the +door. He may entangle himself in a hair of the nest-lining, and hang +himself at the very threshold of life--a not uncommon occurrence; or he +may safely reach the nearest twig and from there fall and break his +neck--not a rare accident; he may be attacked by a bird who questions +his right to be on the tree; he may fly, and, not reaching his goal, +come to the ground, an easy prey to any prowler. + +In this blackbird family one of the little ones had taken his first +ambitious flight to the oriole's tree, where he must and should be fed +and comforted, in spite of the hostile reception of its gayly dressed +proprietor. The father took upon himself this duty, and many times +during the day the above-mentioned scene was reenacted, loud blackbird +calls, husky baby notes, the musical war-cry of the oriole, and a chase. + +A second infant had wisely confined his wandering to his own tree, one +of a group of tall pines that towered above the roofs of the village. +This one could be easily watched as he stood on one branch for an hour +at a time, sometimes in the nest attitude, head sunk in shoulders and +beak pointed toward the sky, again looking eagerly around on his new +world, turning his head from side to side, changing position to see the +other way, and showing himself wide awake although the yellowish +baby-down was still on his head, and his tail was not an inch long. Now +and then the mother was heard calling in the distance, and as she +approached he became all excitement, fluttering his wings, and answering +in the husky tones of the family. A moment later, after a quick glance +around, but without alighting and reconnoitring the whole neighborhood, +as the robin does, she came down beside the eager youngling, +administered to the wide open mouth what looked like two or three savage +pecks, but doubtless were nothing worse than mouthfuls of food, and +instantly flew again, while the refreshed infant stretched his wings +and legs, changed his place a little, and settled into comfortable quiet +after his lunch. + +The urchin in the enemy's tree was not the most unfortunate of the +nestlings. One already lay dead on the ground under the nest where it +had fallen, and another came down during the day, though happily without +injury. This one was not very bright, or perhaps his baby wits were +dazed by his sudden descent. He made no objection to staying in my hand +as long as I liked to look at him, and when I placed him on a low +branch, as a hint that it was safer there, he declined to accept my +advice, but flew off and came to the ground again. He was a scraggy +looking, rusty black little fellow, the most unattractive young bird I +ever saw. Shortly after this he clambered up on a pile of brush about a +foot high, without so much as a leaf to screen him, and there he stayed +all day, motionless, being fed at long intervals; and there I left him +at night, never expecting to see him again. But in the morning he +appeared on a low shrub on the lawn, and about nine o'clock he took +courage to launch himself on wing. He flew very low across the street, +and dropped into the tall grass at the foot of a lilac bush. Why the +parents considered that less safe than the open lawn I could not see, +but they evidently did, for one of them perched upon the lilac, and +filled the air with anxious "chucks," announcing to all whom it might +concern--after the fashion of some birds--that here was a stray infant +to be had for the picking up. Perhaps, however, the hue-and-cry kept off +the quiet-loving cat; at any rate nothing happened to him, I think, for +in a day or two the three young birds became so expert on wing that the +whole family left us, and I hope found a place where they were more +welcome than in that colony of house and orchard birds. + +Not so quiet in their ways are the babies of another blackbird +family--the redwings; restless and uneasy, the clumsy little creatures +climb all about the bushes and trees, and keep both parents busy, not +only in filling their gaping mouths, but in finding them when the food +is brought. They are always seeking a new place, and from the moment of +leaving the nest show in a marked way the unrest, the impatience of the +redwing family. + +Quite as erratic is a much smaller bird, the yellow throated warbler, +whose baby ways I have seen at the South. One of these bantlings no +bigger than the end of a thumb will easily keep its parent frantically +busy rushing about after food, and hunting up the capricious wanderer on +its return. + +The wood thrush, on the contrary, is patience itself. A youngster of +this lovely family sits a half hour at a time motionless and silent on a +branch, head drawn down upon his shoulders, apparently in the deepest +meditation. When he sees food coming he is gently agitated, rises upon +his weak legs, softly flutters his wings and opens his mouth, but +never--never cries. Should one put a hand down to take him, as seemingly +could be done easily, he will slip out from under it, drop to the +ground, and disappear, in perfect silence. + +The cry-baby of the bird world is the Baltimore oriole. As soon as this +fluffy young person appears outside of his nursery, sometimes even +before, he begins to utter a strange almost constant "chrr-r-r." He is +not particularly active of movement, but he cannot keep silent. One +little oriole mother whom I watched in Massachusetts had no help in +raising her brood, her mate spending his time on the upper branches of +the tree. He could not be blamed, however; he was, so far as I could +see, perfectly willing to aid in the support of the family, but Madam +actually would not allow him even to visit the homestead. When the young +were out he assumed his share of the labor. The first yellow-haired +bairn mounted the edge of the nest one morning, and after a little +stretching and pluming, tried to fly. But alas he was held! Two or +three times he renewed the attempt, his struggles always ending in +failure, and I feared I should see a tragedy. Half an hour later the +mother returned, and whether she pushed him down, or merely advised him +to go back and try again, I cannot say. The fact is that he did +disappear in the nest, where he remained for two or three hours, for it +is probably safe to assume that the urchin who came up later was the +same. This time, without delay upon the brink, he climbed upon a twig, +hopped about a little, and before long flew several feet, alighting on a +small branch of the same tree. Hardly had he established himself safely +and resumed his ordinary call, when down upon him from above came a +robin, who, strange to say, had a nest in one of the upper branches of +the same tall maple. This robin had always recognized the right of the +oriole parents to their share of the tree, but the young one was a +stranger, and he fell upon him accordingly. He knocked him off his +perch; the unfortunate little fellow fell a few feet, then gathered +himself, fluttered and caught at the outside of a clump of leaves on the +end of a twig, where after frantic struggling he managed to secure a +hold. Perhaps the robin saw his mistake, for he paid no more attention +to the new-comer, who did not stay long on the tree after this second +disaster. + +The next morning came up out of the nest quite an unnatural oriole +baby--he did not cry. Silently, he stepped out upon a twig, and looked +about in the new world around him. He carefully dressed his feathers, +and often rose to his full height and stretched his legs, as if it were +legs and not wings he needed in his new life. The third scion of the +household had also a marked character of his own. Having planted himself +on the threshold, and found it a convenient place to intercept all food +on its way to the younger ones still unseen, he remained. Every time the +mother came with a mouthful, he fluttered and coaxed, and usually got +it. It was too good a situation to leave and he seemed to have settled +for life; but his wings overpowered his inertia or greed, about four +o'clock in the afternoon. + +So long had the third young oriole occupied his position, that the +fourth made his appearance almost immediately, as though he had been +waiting. There does appear to be some regulation of this sort among the +orioles, for in all that I have noticed, no two ever came out together +(excepting once, when both went back almost instantly, and one returned +alone). This late comer had not the whole long sunny day to loiter +away, and he flew in an hour. The fifth and last came up early the next +morning evidently in haste to join the scattered family, for he bade +farewell to the native tree in a short time. No more orioles appeared +upon the maple from this day, but for two weeks I saw the little party +about; the father, whom I had missed after the flight of the first +infant, working like a drudge, with two or three hungry urchins wherever +he went, excepting when he sought food in the new-cut grass on the +ground. He gave us no more songs, but his sweet, low call sounded all +day on the place. + +Another family of little folk came upon the maple after the orioles were +gone, a nuthatch tribe. There were three or four of them exactly like +the mother excepting a shorter tail, and they followed her like a flock +of sheep, over and under branches, around the trunk, up or down or any +way, never pausing more than an instant, not even when she plumped a +morsel into a waiting mouth. She led her little procession by her +querulous-sounding "quank," while they replied with a low "chir-up" in +the same tone. It was a very funny sight. They could fly nicely, but +never seemed to think of looking for food, and it was plain that the +busy little mother had no time to teach them. It was interesting to see +her deal with a moth which she found napping on a fence. She ran at +once to a crack or some convenient hole in the rough rail, thrust it in +and hammered it down. When it was quiet she snipped off the wings, +dragged it out, and beat it on the fence till it was fit for food, the +family meanwhile gathered around her, clinging closely to the fence, and +gently fluttering. These nuthatches were remarkably silent, but some +that I once saw living near the top of two or three tall pines were +quite noisy, and I spent much time trying to see what they were forever +complaining about. There always seemed to be some catastrophe impending +up in that sky parlor, but it never appeared to reach a climax. + +Charming to watch is the bluebird nestling; cheery and gentle like the +parents, he seems to escape the period of helplessness that many birds +suffer from, perhaps because he is patient enough to stay in the nest +till his wings are ready to use. The mocking-bird baby has a far +different time. Victim of a devouring ambition that will not let him +rest till either legs or wings will bear him, he scrambles out upon his +native tree, stretches, plumes a little in a jerky, hurried way, and +then boldly launches out in the air--alas!--to come flop to the ground, +where he is an easy prey to boys and cats, both of whom are particularly +fond of young mocking-birds. These parents are wiser than the crow +blackbirds, for not a sound betrays the accident in the family, unless, +indeed, the little one is disturbed, when they make noise enough. They +keep out of sight, no doubt closely watching the straggler until he gets +away from people, for although he has proved that he cannot fly, the +young mocker is by no means discouraged; he trusts to his legs, and +usually at once starts off on a run "anywhere, anywhere, out (in) the +world." When far enough away for them to feel safe in doing so, the +parents come down and feed and comfort the wanderer, and it is a day or +two before his wings are of much use to him. + +The most imperious young bird I know is the robin. He is perfectly sure +he has a right to attention, and he intends to have it. If he is +neglected too long and gets hungry, he calls loudly and impatiently, +jerking himself up with a ludicrous air of stamping his feet. Even when +he does condescend to go to the lawn with mamma, it is not to seek his +food--far from it! It is to follow her around, and call every moment or +two for something to eat. The idea that his individual exertions have +anything to do with the food supply seems never to occur to him. He +expects the fat morsels to fall into his mouth as they always have, and +why should they not? He will soon be taught, for even baby-birds have to +be educated. + +We have assumed in our easy-going way that birds "toil not" because they +"do not spin," because they have not surrounded themselves with a +thousand artificial wants, as we have. But the truth is that nobody can +work harder than a pair of robins, for example, with four or five hungry +mouths to fill, and every mouthful to be hunted up as it is wanted. No +one would guess what an ever-yawning cavern a baby robin's mouth is, +till he has tried to bring up a nestling himself. I once kept two small +boys busy several days at high wages, digging worms for one young bird, +and then I believe he starved to death. + +The training of our winged neighbors is most interesting, but so +cautiously carried on that we rarely see it, though we may often hear +the robin, oriole, whip-poor-will, and many others receive instruction +in singing. I have once or twice surprised young birds at their lessons, +as for instance, a pewee family learning to hover over the daisies, a +beautiful operation of their parents which I never tired of watching. I +was behind a blind when they came, a little flock of five or six. They +were very playful, and kept near together, flying low over the grass, +alighting in a row on the edge of a pail, coming up on the +clothes-line, banging awkwardly against the house, and in every way +showing ignorance and youth. I studied one for a long time as he +balanced himself on the clothes-line and looked off at the antics of his +brothers trying to learn the hovering. One of the parents flew out over +the tall flowers, poising himself gracefully, his body held perfectly +erect, legs half drawn up, turning his head this way and that, hanging +thus in the air several seconds in one spot, then suddenly darting off +to another like a humming-bird. The little ones in a row close together +on a low branch of a shrub, looked on, and in a moment two or three +sallied out and tried the same movement. They could fly well enough, but +when they tried to pause on wing the failure was disastrous. Some +tumbled out of sight into the daisies, others recovered themselves with +violent efforts and returned hastily to the perch, complaining loudly. +Then the parents brought food, and this went on for some time, while all +the time the air was full of gentle twitters and calls, much baby-talk, +and a little parental instruction no doubt. + +A delightful field of work awaits the young naturalist of to-day. Our +predecessors have devoted their energies to classifying and arranging. +They have dissected and weighed and measured every part of the little +bodies; they know to a fraction the length of wings and tails; they have +pulled to pieces the nests, "clutched" the eggs, and blown and mounted +and labeled and set up in cases the whole external of the little +creatures. All that can be learned by violence, all the characteristics +evolved by fear and distress are duly set down in the books. You shall +find a catalogue of the robin's possessions in the shape of feathers and +bones, pictures of his internal anatomy, illustrations of his work in +nest building, and specimens in all stages, but in the whole world of +these books you shall not find the robin. The soul of the robin has +escaped them, it is not to be taken by force. + +I do not find fault; it needed to be done, but happily--let us hope--it +is done, and a more enticing field is now open, namely: to make personal +acquaintance with the birds, find out how they live, their manners and +customs, and their individual characters. This is one of the most +charming studies in the world, but much more is required than a gun and +a little or much scientific knowledge. There is infinite patience, +perseverance, untiring devotion, and more,--a quick eye and ear, and a +sympathetic heart. If you do not love the birds you cannot understand +them. + +This is the pleasant path opening now, and in some ways it is +particularly suited to woman with her great patience and quiet manners. +Once interested in the lives in the "upper stories," you will find them +most absorbing; novels will pall upon you, fancy work seem frivolous, +society duties a bore, and talk--loud enough to interfere with +listening--an impertinence. + + + + +BIRD-STUDY IN A SOUTHERN STATE. + + He loved the ever deepening brown + Of summer twilights on the enchanted hills; + Where he might listen to the starts and thrills + Of birds that sang and rustled in the trees, + Or watch the footsteps of the wandering breeze, + And the bird's shadows as they fluttered by, + Or slowly wheeled across the unclouded sky. + + RICHARD WATSON GILDER. + + + + +II. + +BIRD-STUDY IN A SOUTHERN STATE. + + +The most interesting experience in several years of bird-study was a +trip to a Southern State for the purpose of making acquaintance with the +mocking-bird. + +Adventures began before the lights of New York sank below the horizon; +adventures more strange than agreeable, for the journey was by steamer. +Hardly had we passed out of the bay when there began a gentle roll which +speedily sent passengers to bed. When we passed Long Branch the motion +was a steady rock from side to side, that made one feel like a baby in a +cradle, and before bedtime it was a violent swing that flung one about +like a toy, and tossed the furniture around like doll-house belongings. + +Holding on to the side of the berth with both hands, I passed the night +listening to the labored strokes of the engine and the crashing of the +loosened freight in the hold, and entertained by the eccentric conduct +of the loose articles in my state-room, a trunk, chair, life-preserver, +plate, saucer, and teaspoon, which with one accord, and in spite of all +I could do by most ingenious wedging, joined in a peculiar dance between +the outer wall and the inner partition of my room. At one moment they +rested quietly in their several ways, against the wall; the steamer +lurched, and all started madly across the floor, the heavy things first, +and the lighter bringing up the rear, each banging violently against the +partition, with thump, rattle, or jingle according to its nature, then +in a moment dashing back so furiously that I feared to see the thin +planks yield and my trunk go out to sea by itself. Not that I cared for +my trunk--my life was the subject that interested me at the time. +Outside, too, the doors and blinds rattled, the tiller-chain chattered +and wailed and sobbed like a woman in distress, and above all other +sounds rose the dismal fog horn, for a pall of mist had settled over us. + +Day differed from night only in being light, for the sole prospect from +the guards was one moment the fog above, where the sky should be, the +next the depths of the sea yawning as if to receive the ship into its +bosom. In this manner, during two days and three nights, we rolled on to +our destination, and for days after my feet touched blessed Mother Earth +I reeled and staggered like a drunken man. + +After the storm, the calm. There followed upon this rough voyage weeks +of quiet, delightful bird-study, whose long sunny-days were passed in +the fragrant depths of pine groves, under arching forest of sweet-gum +trees, or on the shore of the salt marsh; but wherever, or however, +always following and spying out the ways of the feathered world. + +The bird of the South--the mocking-bird, was the first object of study. +By day he was watched and noted, during the long twilight he was +listened to, and at midnight sleep was often banished by his wonderful +and enchanting voice. Gray and inconspicuous in coloring, we all know +him in the cage; but how different in freedom! how wild and bewitching +his song! how wise and knowing his ways! how well worth weeks of study +is this one bird! + +Here were dozens of other birds also. What keen delight to one fresh +from the town, to look over the marsh where + + "Leagues and leagues of marsh grass, waist high, broad in the blade, + Green and all of a height, and unflecked with a light or a shade, + Stretch leisurely off in a pleasant plain + To the terminal blue of the main;" + +to watch the great snowy heron sweeping over with broad white wing, +tripping gracefully about on the edges of the channels, and toward +night betaking itself to a line of trees in the distance, that looked as +if full of snowy blossoms that moved and changed about and at last +settled for the night; to see the bald eagle catch a big fish and call +his mate to help him eat it; to watch the lesser tern hover with yellow +bill pointed downward and sharp eye fixed on the water, and at length +stiffen his wings and dive head first into it, bringing out his prey, +and filling the air with cries in a complaining, squealing tone that +always reminds one of a young pig; to gaze fascinated at the bewitching +flight of the ring-plover, sweeping low over the water in a small flock, +now almost invisible as the sombre-colored backs turn toward you, now +suddenly flashing bright as silver when the breasts come into sight, +moving in perfect unison as if impelled by one will. More, many more +birds of the marsh attract and draw one, but inland is the mocking-bird, +and after a walk along the shore, always my feet turned to the groves +and the fields where the matchless bird lives his life. + +To see, as well as hear a wild mocking-bird sing, is worth a journey, +even over the rolling deep. I passed hours in a pleasant grove beyond +the gardens and fields, watching and listening to one bird whose concert +hall it was. The grove was the audience room where one might be in the +shade and not too conspicuous in watching him. His chosen place was in +the sunshine, for this bird is a sun-worshiper. I always found him +singing when I reached the spot. Perhaps on the top spike of a young +pine-tree, balanced on one, or sometimes on two adjoining top +twigs--which of course stand straight up--stood the singer, madly +shouting his most peculiar medley. He looked at me as I passed near his +perch, but did not pause in his song. After I had taken my seat he +flew--singing as he went--alighted nearer, on the upper sprig of a +cedar, turned his eyes upon me, and treated me to another performance, +while I looked and listened enchanted. + +Nor was I the only listener. Ever and anon while absorbed in the +entertainment, or waiting, breathless, for a new note, I was startled by +a rustle, and a low "Good evenin' Missis," and glanced up to see a negro +stealing along in a stealthy way. It might be a woman with a big bundle +or basket on her head, possibly a slouching young man or "boy" with an +air of interest in my eccentric proceedings, or a group of youngsters +with nothing particular to do, but one and all perfectly silent in +movement. No wonder they know all about the birds, and lay violent hands +on eggs, nests, or nestlings as they choose, creeping around as they do +without a sound. It is only surprising that a bird is left in the State, +so persistently do they rob the nests. Naturally the mocking-bird, for +which they can always find purchasers, is the most desirable, and white +as well as black persecute that bird unceasingly. + +"You can't keep them from the negroes," said a young white man. "I've +often been watching a nest to get the young ones myself, but some nig +was sure to take it before me." + +Speaking of negroes, I never saw so many idle men and grown boys. Not a +spot could be found so secluded that one or more did not soon make his +appearance. Selecting the quiet yard of a summer cottage, a +deserted-looking place not yet opened for the season, in which to study +the ways of the birds in peace, I was often disturbed by a negro passing +across the lawn, taking no heed of fences, for there's no sort of a +fence in that country that they will not pass over as if it were not +there. Of course this always put to flight the dramatis personae of my +study. One day an interesting (or interested) person of color appeared +on the scene equipped for white-washing, and proceeded to adorn tree +trunks, fences, buildings, etc., etc., relieving his labors by +questioning me about northern manners and customs. On another occasion +when I was looking anxiously to see a certain family of nestlings make +exit from the nest, a building that I supposed to be a shut-up +store-room was thrown open, a wash-tub appeared before the door, and I +found that a family of eight, including four children, had moved in, not +thirty feet from my chosen seat, and of course to the utter destruction +of any seclusion. + +I could not select a single spot in the neighborhood, favorable to quiet +study, without having it made desolate or turned into a thoroughfare. +The loveliest place I found at all was a footpath passing for about +fifty feet through a fringe of low cedar, sweet gum trees, and shrubs +loaded with pink lily-of-the-valley shaped blossoms. Across the path ran +a brooklet, a mere thread of water, so shallow that small birds stood in +the middle to bathe, though it deepened into a pool below, where frogs +croaked and plunged. It was cool; it was quiet, far from the everywhere +present negro hut; there was no sound but the trickle of the streamlet +as it fell into the pool, and the softened roar of the ocean beyond the +wide salt marsh. + +To this nook I went every day, always trying to surprise the birds at +their usual occupations, but never quite succeeding; for steal in +quietly as I might I always heard low remarks, a slight flutter of +wings, and usually saw a dark form or two departing near the ground +behind some shrub. Slowly and quietly, however, I took my seat on a bank +close under a thick bush,--while the silence around me was as profound +as if no wing had ever fluttered there,--and became as motionless as +circumstances would allow, for beside the birds there were other tenants +not half so shy. + +After a few moments, when the ripple I caused had died away, sounds of +life began again; unknown water creatures made queer noises in the pool +below, low bird tones, unfamiliar scraps of song fell on the ear, +ordinary ways were resumed. + +In this pleasant place I made acquaintance with the painted-finch, or +nonpareil, who was least frightened of the small birds, and stood +patiently on a cedar twig till I became quiet, then came down in plain +sight, waded up to the tops of his firm little legs in the water, and +deliberately took his bath before my very face. Here also I had a call +from Bob White, who cautiously lifted a striped cap and a very bright +eye above the grass tops to look at me. He did not introduce himself; +indeed, after a moment's steady gaze his head dropped and I saw him no +more, but I heard him rustle in the grass on the way to the +strawberries, of which he demands--and gets--his share. + +Ruin fell upon this charming retreat in this wise. One day on my +approach I saw commotion in the shrubs and two negroes at work chopping +great branches out on each side of the path, letting in the sun to my +bank, and turning it into a hideous wreck. I protested. + +"Why is this? What are you doing?" + +"Oh, we're just cuttin' some pea-poles!" they replied calmly. They had +been too lazy or too indifferent to step ten feet on one side into the +thicker copse, and leave the pretty path in its beauty, and the mischief +was done, and after all it was not my business. I passed on. + +Bird-study has other annoyances in that part of the world beside the +human beings of whom I have spoken. Next, perhaps, are the sufferings +which wring the heart all the while. John Burroughs has written the +tragedies of the nests; he could add a chapter more tragical than all, +should he visit the haunts of the mocking-bird. Nothing can be more +dreadful than the systematic and persistent war made upon this bird, of +which nevertheless every Southerner is proud. + +Lastly, the hindrances which Dame Nature herself throws around her +mysteries. There are the prickly pears, sowed broadcast over the land so +thickly that one can hardly avoid stepping on them, with thorns sharp as +needles, and as long. One of an inch in length that I had the curiosity +to examine had forty-five thorns, equal to two papers of number six +sharps, that stuck out in every direction, and would pass through an +ordinary shoe with perfect ease. This interesting vegetable has no local +attachments whatever, and readily clings to any part of one's garment. + +Then there are the mosquitoes with which the same careful mother peoples +the groves, even in April, industrious little creatures not in the least +enervated by the climate. But her grand dependence, judiciously settled +indeed, is on the sand flies. Wherever there is not a howling +gale--there are the flies in millions, most indefatigable and maddening +of pests. And finally, to take home with you, to remind you pleasantly +of her hospitalities when you have reached your own room, is the tick! + +Ties from the outer world began at last to draw. The birdlings in the +nest were not ready to come out, and growing impatient I drew upon the +knowledge--or rather the ignorance--of the residents and heard some +surprising statements, which further observation, however, did not +confirm. That the mocking-bird baby lives for three weeks in the nest; +that part of that time the parents carry the nestlings about on their +backs; that when old enough the young are pushed out of their nest, and +always fall to the ground. + +And the authors of these fables were grown-up, and had passed their +lives among the mocking-birds. I curbed my impatience, stayed another +week, and saw all the nestlings out, and the nest deserted. + +Another charge also fell to the ground on careful observation. The +farmers complain--as farmers are apt to complain of their best friends, +the birds--that the mocking-bird eats strawberries. I set myself to +watch a fine patch full of ripe and tempting berries, several times when +no one was near. Many birds came about, mocking-birds, crows, kingbirds, +orchard orioles, and others. The mocking-birds ran down between the rows +of vines catching grasshoppers, the crows did the same service, walking +with dignity. The kingbirds chased flies, the orioles searched the fruit +trees for insects. One and all were working in the interest of the +strawberry grower. And while I watched, an hour or more at a time, not +even for dessert after filling their stomachs with insects, did one take +a berry, which I am sure they might be considered to have earned. + +I know one lady--would there were more like her--who owns a garden on +Long Island, and when her gardener comes in and says something _must_ +be done to prevent the birds destroying fruit, calmly says: "Certainly, +set out another row of plants. Let us have enough for the birds by all +means, and for ourselves too." + + + + +THE MOCKING-BIRD'S NEST. + + Whate'er birds did or dreamed, this bird could say. + Then down he shot, bounced airily along + The sward, twitched in a grasshopper, made song + Midflight, perched, prinked, and to his art again. + Sweet Science, this large riddle read me plain: + How may the death of that dull insect be + The life of yon trim Shakespeare, on the tree? + + SIDNEY LANIER. + + + + +III. + +THE MOCKING-BIRD'S NEST. + + "Superb and sole upon a plumed spray + That o'er the general leafage boldly grew," + + +as literally as though Lanier had sketched that particular bird, stood +the first free mocking-bird I ever heard. His perch was the topmost twig +of the tallest tree in the group. It was a cedar, perhaps fifteen feet +high, around which a jasmine vine had clambered, and that morning opened +a cluster of fragrant blossoms at his feet, as though an offering to the +most noted singer on our side of the globe. As I drew near he turned his +clear, bright eye upon me, and sang a welcome to North Carolina; and +several hours later, when the moon rose high over the waters of the +Sound, he completed his perfect performance with a serenade, the like of +which I fear I may never hear again. I chose to consider his attentions +personal, because, of all the household, I am sure I was the only one +who listened, and I had passed over many miles of rolling and tossing +ocean to make his acquaintance. + +Nothing would have been easier, or more delightful, than to pitch one's +tent in a certain pine grove not far away, and pass days and weeks in +forgetting the world of cares, and reading favorite books, lulled at all +hours of day and night by the softened roar of the ocean and the +wonderful bird + + "Singing the song of everything, + Consummate sweet, and calm." + +But it was not merely as singer that I wished to know him; nor to watch +his dainty and graceful ways as he went about the daily duties of +food-hunting, singing, and driving off marauders, which occupied his +hours from dawn to late evening, and left him spirit enough for many a +midnight rhapsody. It was in his domestic relations that I desired to +see him,--the wooing of the bride and building the nest, the training of +mocking-bird babies and starting them in the world; and no loitering and +dreaming in the pine grove, however tempting, would tell me this. I must +follow him to his more secluded retreats, see where he had set up his +homestead. + +Thoreau--or is it Emerson?--says one always finds what he looks for, and +of course I found my nests. One pair of birds I noticed through the +courtship, the selection of the site, the building and occupying of the +nest; another couple, already sitting when discovered, I watched +through the incubation and nursing of the little ones, and at last +assisted in giving them a fair chance for their lives and a start in the +world. It may be thought that my assistance was not particularly +valuable; the birds shared this opinion; none the less, but for my +presence not one of those birdlings would be free and happy to-day, as I +hope and believe they are. To the study of these two households I gave +nearly every hour of daylight, in all weathers, for a month, and of the +life that went on in and around them I can speak from personal +knowledge; beyond that, and at other times in his life, I do not profess +to know the mocking-bird. + +The bird whose nest-making I witnessed was the one whose performance I +chose to consider a welcome, and his home was in the pine grove, a group +of about twenty trees, left from the original forest possibly, at any +rate nearly a hundred feet high, with all branches near the top, as +though they had grown in close woods. They were quite scattering now, +and lower trees and shrubs flourished in their shade, making a charming +spot, and a home worthy even of this superb songster. The bird himself +was remarkably friendly. Seeming to appreciate my attitude of admiring +listener, he often perched on the peak of a low roof (separated only by +a carriage drive from the upper "gallery" where I sat), and sang for +hours at a time, with occasional lunches; or, as Lanier, his most ardent +lover, has it,-- + + "Then down he shot, bounced airily along + The sward, twitched in a grasshopper, made song + Midflight, perched, prinked, and to his art again." + +Whatever he did, his eyes were upon me; he came to the corner nearest me +to sing, and was so intelligent in look and bearing that I believe he +liked a quiet listener. + +His wooing, however, the bird did not intend me to see, though two or +three times I surprised him at it. The first part that I chanced upon +was curious and amusing. A female, probably the "beloved object," stood +demurely on one of the dead top branches of a large tree down in the +garden, while her admirer performed fantastic evolutions in the air +about her. No flycatcher ever made half the eccentric movements this +aerial acrobat indulged in. He flew straight up very high, executing +various extraordinary turns and gyrations, so rapidly they could not be +followed and described, and came back singing; in a moment he departed +in another direction, and repeated the grotesque performance. He was +plainly exerting himself to be agreeable and entertaining, in +mocking-bird style, and I noticed that every time he returned from an +excursion he perched a little nearer his audience of one, until, after +some time, he stood upon the same twig, a few inches from her. They were +facing and apparently trying to stare each other out of countenance; and +as I waited, breathless, to see what would happen next, the damsel +coquettishly flitted to another branch. Then the whole scene was +repeated; the most singular and graceful evolutions, the songs, and the +gradual approach. Sometimes, after alighting on a top twig, he dropped +down through the branches, singing, in a way to suggest the "dropping +song" so graphically described by Maurice Thompson, but never really +falling, and never touching the ground. Each performance ended in his +reaching the twig which she occupied and her flight to another, until at +last, by some apparently mutual agreement, both flew, and I saw no more. + +A remarkable "dance" which I also saw, with the same bird as principal +actor, seems to me another phase of the wooing, though I must say it +resembled a war-dance as well; but love is so like war among the lower +orders, even of men, that it is hard to distinguish between them. I +shall not try to decide, only to relate, and, I beg to say, without the +smallest exaggeration. The dances I saw were strictly _pas-de-deux_, +and they always began by a flash of wings and two birds alighting on the +grass, about a foot apart. Both instantly drew themselves up perfectly +erect, tail elevated at an angle of forty-five degrees, and wings held +straight down at the sides. Then followed a most droll dance. Number one +stood like a statue, while number two pranced around, with short, +mincing steps and dainty little hops which did not advance him an inch; +first he passed down the right, then turned and went down the left, all +in the queer, unnatural manner of short hops and steps, and holding +himself rigidly erect, while number one always faced the dancer, +whichever way he turned. After a few moments of this movement, number +one decided to participate, and when his partner moved to the right he +did the same; to the left he still accompanied him, always facing, and +maintaining the exact distance from him. Then number two described a +circle around number one, who turned to face him with short hops where +he stood. Next followed a _chasse_ of both birds to the right; then a +separation, one dancing to the right and the other to the left, always +facing, and always slowly and with dignity. This stately minuet they +kept up for some time, and appeared so much like a pair of +old-fashioned human dancers that when, on one occasion, number two +varied the performance by a spring over the head of his partner, I was +startled, as if an old gentleman had suddenly hopped over the head of +the grand dame his _vis-a-vis_. When this strange new figure was +introduced, number one proved equal to the emergency, hopping backward, +and turning so dexterously that when his partner alighted they were +facing, and about a foot apart, as before. The object of all this was +very uncertain to a looker-on. It might be the approaches of love, and +quite as probably the wary beginnings of war, and the next feature of +the programme was not explanatory; they rose together in the air ten +feet or more, face to face, fluttering and snatching at each other, +apparently trying to clinch; succeeding in doing so, they fell to the +ground, separated just before they touched it, and flew away. O wings! +most maddening to a bird-student. + +It was not very long after these performances, which seem to me to +belong to the courtship period, when I noticed that my bird had won his +bride, and they were busy house-hunting. The place they apparently +preferred, and at last fixed upon, was at an unusual height for +mocking-birds, near the top of one of the tall pines, and I was no less +surprised than pleased to see them lay the foundation of their home in +that spot. I congratulated myself that at least one brood in North +Carolina would have a chance to come to maturity and be free; and so +persistent is the warfare waged against this bird--unfortunately +marketable at any stage from the egg--that I almost doubt if another +will. The day after they began building a northwest storm set in, and +for three days we had high winds and cold weather. In spite of this, the +brave birds persevered, and finished their nest during those three days, +although much of the time they made infrequent trips. It was really most +touching to watch them at their unnatural task, and remember that +nothing but the cruelty of man forced them to it (one nest had been +destroyed). Their difficulty was to get up against the wind, and, having +little experience in flying upward, they made the natural mistake of +starting from the foot of their chosen tree. Sometimes, at first, they +flew with the body almost perpendicular; and afterwards, when they held +the body in proper position, they wished to go so directly up that they +turned the head back over the shoulder to see where they were going. The +wind, too, beat them far out of their course, and they were obliged to +alight and rest, occasionally being forced to cling to the trunk of a +tree to recover breath and strength to go on. They never attempted to +make the whole ascent at once, but always stopped four or five times, +perching on the ends of fallen branches, of which there were eight or +ten below the living part of the pine. Even when no wind disturbed them, +they made these pauses on the way, and it was always a hard task to +reach the top. They learned, after a few days, however, to begin their +ascent at a distance, and not approach the tree till at least half as +high as they wished to go, which simplified the matter very much. It was +beautiful to see them, upon reaching the lowest of the living branches, +bound gayly up, as though over a winding stair, to the particular spot +they had fixed upon. + +During the building I missed the daily music of the singer. Occasionally +he alighted on the roof, looked over at me, and bubbled out a few notes, +as much as to say, "You must excuse me now; I am very busy;" but all the +time I hoped that while sitting was going on I should have him back. I +reckoned ignorantly; I did not know my bird. No sooner was he the +possessor of a house and family than he suddenly became very wary. No +more solos on the roof; no more confidential remarks; no more +familiarities of any sort. Now he must beware of human beings, and even +when on the grass he held himself very erect, wings straight down, +every instant on guard. His happiness demanded expression in song, +certainly, but instead of confining himself to the roof he circled the +lawn, which was between two and three hundred feet wide. If he began in +a group of cedars on the right, he sang awhile there, then flew to the +fence next the road without a pause in the music, and in a few minutes +passed to the group of pines at the left, perched on a dead branch, and +finished his song there. It was most tantalizing, though I could but +admit it a proof of intelligence. + +Another change appeared in the bird with the advent of family cares: he +was more belligerent; he drove the bluebird off the lawn, he worried the +tufted titmouse when it chanced to alight on his tree, and in the most +offensive way claimed ownership of pine-trees, lawn, and all the fence +bordering the same. Neighboring mocking-birds disputed his claim, and +many a furious chase took place among the trees. (So universal is their +habit of insisting upon exclusive right to certain grounds that two +mocking-birds are never found nesting very near each other, in that part +of the country. This I was assured, and found it true of those I +observed.) These little episodes in his life kept the pine-tree bird +from dullness, while his mate was engaged in the top of the tall pine, +where, by the way, he went now and then to see how she was getting on. +Sometimes his spouse received him amiably, but occasionally, I regret to +say, I heard a "huff" from the nest that said plainly, "Don't you touch +those eggs!" And what was amusing, he acknowledged her right to dictate +in the matter, and meekly took his departure. Whenever she came down for +a lunch, he saw her instantly, and was ready for a frolic. He dropped to +the grass near her, and they usually indulged in a lively romp, chasing +each other over and through the trees, across the yard, around the +garden, and back to the lawn, where she went on with her eating, and he +resumed his singing. + +While I was watching the pine-tree household, the other nest, in the top +of a low, flat-topped cedar, perhaps twenty-five feet high, and +profusely fringed with Spanish moss, became of even more interest. I +could not see into the nest, for there was no building high enough to +overlook it, but I could see the bird when he stood upon the edge. +Sitting, in a warm climate, is not particularly close work. Although the +weather was cool, yet when the sun was out the sitter left her nest from +six to eight minutes at a time, and as often as once in twenty minutes. +Of course in rain she had not so much liberty, and on some days left +only when her mate was ready to take her place, which he frequently did. + +On the ninth day of my watching (I had not seen the beginning of the +sitting), the 3d of May, I found work was over and the youngsters were +out. There was much excitement in the cedar-tree, but in a quiet way; in +fact, the birds became so silent and so wary in approaching the nest +that it required the closest watching to see them go or come, and only +occasionally could I detect any food in the beak. I discovered very soon +that mocking-bird babies are brought up on hygienic principles, and have +their meals with great regularity. For some time both parents were +exceedingly busy, going and coming almost constantly; then there came a +rest of a half hour or more, during which no food was brought. Each bird +had its own way of coming to the tree. Madam came over the roof of the +cottage where I sat, and was exposed to view for only a few feet, over +which she passed so quickly and silently that I had to be constantly on +the alert to see her at all. The singer had another way, and by rising +behind a hickory-tree beyond the cedar managed to keep a screen of +branches between him and myself nearly every foot of the way. I could +see them both almost every time, but I could not always tell whether +they carried food. Now the bluebird, honest soul, always stops in plain +sight to rest, with his mouth full of dainties for his young brood, and +a robin will stand staring at one for two minutes with three or four +wriggling worms in his beak. It is quite a different affair in the +mocking-bird family, as is certainly natural, after the persecution it +has endured. No special fear of me was the cause,--it is a marked +peculiarity of the bird; and I think, with a little study, one could +learn to know exactly the moment the eggs hatch by the sudden silence +and wariness of both birds. Poor little creatures! a sympathetic friend +hates to add to the anxiety they suffer, and he cannot help a feeling of +reproach when the brave little head of the family alights on the fence, +and looks him straight in the eye, as if to demand why he is subjected +to all this annoyance. I had to console myself by thinking that I was +undoubtedly a providence to him; for I am certain that nothing but my +watching him so conspicuously that every negro within a mile saw me, +saved his family to him, so low and easy of access was the nest. + +The day those nestlings were one week old they uttered their first cry. +It was not at all a "peep," but a cry, continued a few seconds; at +first only when food was offered to them, but as they increased in age +and strength more frequently. It was much like a high-pitched +"[=e]-[=e]-[=e]," and on the first day there was but one voice, which +grew rapidly stronger as the hours went by. The next day another and a +weaker cry joined the first, now grown assured and strong. But the music +of the father was hushed the moment the youngsters began; from that time +until they had left the nest, he sang not a note in my hearing. Perhaps +he was too busy, though he never seemed to work so hard as the robin or +oriole; but I think it was cautiousness, for the trouble of those +parents was painful to witness. They introduced a new sound among their +musical notes, a harsh squawk; neither dog nor negro could cross the +yard without being saluted with it. As for me, though I was meekness +itself, taking the most obscure position I could find, and remaining as +absolutely motionless as possible, they eyed me with suspicion; from the +first they "huffed" at me, and at this point began to squawk the moment +I entered the gate. On one occasion I discovered that by changing my +seat I could actually see the nest, which I much desired; so I removed +while the birds were absent. Madam was the first to return, with a +beakful of food; she saw me instantly, and was too much excited to +dispose of her load. She came to my side of her tree, squawked loudly, +flapping her wings and jerking herself about. I remained motionless and +did not look at her, pretending to be absorbed in my book; but she +refused to be mollified. It evidently did not please her to have me see +so plainly; she desired to retain the friendly screen of leaves which +had secured her a small measure of privacy. I could not blame her; I +felt myself intrusive; and at last I respected her wishes and returned +to my old place, when she immediately calmed down and administered the +food she had held till then. Poor mother! those were trying times. Her +solicitude overpowered her discretion, and her manner proclaimed to +every one within hearing that the nestlings were out. Then, too, on the +eighth day the little ones added their voices, and soon called loudly +enough to attract the dullest of nest-robbers. I was so fearful lest +that nest should be disturbed that I scarcely dared to sleep o' nights; +the birds themselves were hardly more anxious than I was. + +The eleventh day of the birdlings' life was exceedingly warm, without a +breath of air stirring, suffocating to humanity, but preeminently +inspiring to mocking-birds, and every singer within a mile of me, I am +sure, was singing madly, excepting the newly made parent. Upon reaching +my usual seat I knew at once, by the louder cry, that a young bird was +out of the nest, and after some searching through the tree I found +him,--a yellowish-drab little fellow, with very decided wing-markings, a +tail perhaps an inch in length, and soft slate-colored spots, so long as +almost to be streaks, on the breast. He was scrambling about the +branches, always trying to get a higher place, calling and perking his +insignificant tail in true mocking-bird fashion. I think the parents +disapproved this early ambition, for they did not feed him for a long +time, though they passed him to go to the nest. So far from being +lightened, their cares were greatly increased by the precociousness of +the youngster, and from this moment their trouble and worry were +grievous to see. So much self-reliance has the mocking-bird, even in the +nest, that he cannot be kept there until his legs are strong enough to +bear his weight, or his wings ready to fly. The full-grown spirit of the +race blossoms out in the young one at eleven days, and for several more +he is exposed to so many dangers that I wonder there is one left in the +State. + +The parents, one after the other, came down on to a bush near my seat to +remonstrate with me; and I must admit that so great was my sympathy, and +so uncomfortable did I feel at adding in the least to their anxiety, +that I should never have seen that young family fledged, only that I +knew perfectly well what they did not, that I was a protection to them. +I tried to reassure the mother by addressing her in her own language (as +it were), and she turned quickly, looked, listened, and returned to her +tree, quieted. This sound is a low whistling through the teeth, which +readily soothes cage birds. It interests and calms them, though I have +no notion what it means to them, for I am speaking an unknown tongue. + +The baby on the tree was not quiet, climbing about the branches every +moment that he was not engaged in dressing his feathers, the first and +most important business of the newly emancipated nestling. After an hour +or more of watching there was a sudden stir in the family, and the +youngster made his appearance on the ground. He was not under the side +of the tree on which he had been resting, so, although I did not see the +passage, I knew he had not fallen, as he is popularly said to do, but +flown as well as he was able. I started slowly down the yard to examine +the little stranger, but was absolutely startled by a cry from the +mother, that sounded exactly like "Go 'way!" as I have often heard a +negro girl say it. Later it was very familiar, a yearning, anxious +heart-aching sound to hear. + +The youth was very lively, starting off at once on his travels, never +for an instant doubting his own powers. I saw his first movement, which +was a hop, and, what surprised and delighted me, accompanied by a +peculiar lifting of the wings, of which I shall have more to say. He +quickly hopped through the thin grass till he reached a fence, passed +down beside it till a break in the pickets left an open place on the +bottom board, sprang without hesitation upon that, and after a moment's +survey of the country beyond dropped down on the farther side. Now that +was a lane much frequented by negroes, and, being alarmed for his +safety, I sent a boy after him, and in a moment had him in my hand. He +was a beautiful little creature, having a head covered with downy dark +feathers, and soft black eyes, which regarded me with interest, but not +at all with fear. All this time, of course, the parents were scolding +and crying, and I held him only long enough to look carefully at him, +when I replaced him on the grass. Off he started at once, directly +west,--like the "march of empire,"--went through the same fence again, +but further down, and, as I could tell by the conduct of the parents, in +a few moments was safely through a second fence into a comparatively +retired old garden beyond, where I hoped he would be unmolested. Thus +departed number one, with energy and curiosity, to investigate a +brand-new world, fearless in his ignorance and self-confidence, although +his entrance into the world had not been the triumphant fly we might +look for, but an ignominious "flop," and was irresistibly and +ludicrously suggestive of the manner of exit from the home nest of +sundry individuals of our own race, which we consider of much greater +importance. + +The young traveler set out at exactly ten o'clock. As soon as he was out +of sight, though not out of hearing,--for the youngster as well as the +parents kept the whole world of boys and cats well informed of his +whereabouts for three days,--I returned and gave my attention to number +two, who was now out upon the native tree. This one was much more quiet +than his predecessor. He did not cry, but occasionally uttered a +mocking-bird squawk, though spending most of his time dressing his +plumage, in preparation for the grand _entree_. At twelve o'clock he +made the plunge and came to the ground in a heap. This was plainly a +bird of different disposition from number one; his first journey +evidently tired him. He found the world hard and disappointing, so he +simply stayed where he dropped in the middle of the path, and refused to +move, though I touched him as a gentle reminder of the duty he owed to +his parents and his family. He sat crouched upon the gravel and looked +at me with calm black eye, showing no fear and certainly no intention of +moving, even indulging in a nap while I waited. + +Now appeared upon the scene several persons, both white and black, each +of whom wanted a young mocking-bird for a cage; but I stood over him +like a god-parent and refused to let any one touch him. I began to fear +that I should have him on my hands at last, for even the parents seemed +to appreciate his characteristics and to know that he could not be +hurried, and both were still busy following the vagaries of number one. +The mother now and then returned to look after him and was greatly +disturbed by his unnatural conduct--and so was I. He appeared stupid, as +if he had come out too soon, and did not even know how to hop. It was +twenty minutes by the watch before he moved. His mother's calls at last +aroused him; he raised himself upon his shaky little legs, cried out, +and started off exactly as number one had done,--westward, hopping, and +lifting his wings at every step. Then I saw by the enormous amount of +white on his wings that he was a singer. He went as far as the fence, +and there he paused again. In vain did the mother come and scold; in +vain did I try to push him along. He simply knew his own will, and meant +to have it; the world might be strange, but he was not in the least +interested. He rested in that spot fifteen or twenty minutes more, while +I stood guard as before, and preserved him from cages of both negroes +and whites. At last he did manage to squeeze through the fence, and, +much relieved, I left him to the old birds, one of whom was down in the +lot beyond the garden, no doubt following up his ambitious first-born. + +Whoever, meanwhile, was left in the nest had a poor chance of food, and +one was already crying. It was not until six o'clock that the birds +seemed to remember the nestling; then it was well fed, and left again. +Nothing would be easier than to follow the wandering youngsters, see how +they got on and how soon they were able to fly, but this so disturbed +the parents I had not the heart to do it; and besides I feared they +would starve the infants, for one was never fed while I was near. +Doubtless their experience of the human race forbade their confiding in +the kindly intentions of any one. It was well that only two of the young +appeared in one day, for keeping track of them was so serious a matter +that two parents could scarcely manage it. + +Number three differed from both of his elders; he was a cry-baby. He +was not bright and lively like number one, and he did not squawk like +number two, but he cried constantly, and at six P. M. I left him calling +and crying at the top of his voice. Very early the next morning I +hastened to the scene of yesterday's excitement. Number three was out on +the tree. I could hear number two still crying and squawking in the +garden, and from the position and labors of the male I concluded that +number one was in the next lot. It was a dismal, damp morning, every +grass-blade loaded with water, and a heavy fog driving in from the sea. +I hoped number three would know enough to stay at home, but his fate was +upon him, and no rain was ever wet enough to overcome destiny. At about +eight o'clock he stretched his little wings and flew to the ground,--a +very good flight for his family, nearly thirty feet, twice as far as +either of his predecessors had gone; silently, too,--no fuss about it. +He began at once the baby mocker's hop with lifted wings, headed for the +west fence, jumped upon the lower board, squeezed through and was off +down the garden before the usual crowd of spectators had collected to +strive for his head. I was delighted. The parents, who were not near +when he flew, came back soon and found him at once. I left him to them +and returned to my place. + +But silence seemed to have fallen upon the cedar, late so full of life. +In vain I listened for another cry; in vain I watched for another visit +from the parents. All were busy in the garden and lot, and if any baby +were in that nest it must surely starve. Occasionally a bird came back, +hunted a little over the old ground in the yard, perched a moment on the +fence, and saluted me with a low squawk, but their interest in the place +was plainly over. + +After two hours I concluded the nest was empty; and a curious +performance of the head of the late family convinced me it was so. He +came quite near to me, perched on a bush in the yard, fixed his eyes on +me, and then, with great deliberation, first huffed, then squawked, then +sang a little, then flew. I do not know what the bird meant to say, but +this is what it expressed to me: "You've worried us all through this +trying time, but you didn't get one of our babies! Hurrah!" + +In the afternoon I had the nest brought down to me. For foundation it +had a mass of small twigs from six to eight inches long, crooked and +forked and straight, which were so slightly held together that they +could only be handled by lifting with both hands, and placing at once in +a cloth, where they were carefully tied in. Within this mass of twigs +was the nest proper, thick and roughly constructed, three and a half +inches in inside diameter, made of string, rags, newspaper, cotton +wadding, bark, Spanish moss, and feathers, lined with fine root fibre, I +think. The feathers were not inside for lining, but outside on the upper +edge. It was, like the foundation, so frail that, though carefully +managed, it could only be kept in shape by a string around it, even +after the mass of twigs had been removed. I have a last year's nest, +made of exactly the same materials, but in a much more substantial +manner; so perhaps the cedar-tree birds were not so skillful builders as +some of their family. + +The mocking-bird's movements, excepting in flight, are the perfection of +grace; not even the cat-bird can rival him in airy lightness, in easy +elegance of motion. In alighting on a fence, he does not merely come +down upon it; his manner is fairly poetical. He flies a little too high, +drops like a feather, touches the perch lightly with his feet, balances +and tosses upward his tail, often quickly running over the tips of half +a dozen pickets before he rests. Passing across the yard, he turns not +to avoid a taller tree or shrub, nor does he go through it; he simply +bounds over, almost touching it, as if for pure sport. In the matter of +bounds the mocker is without a peer. The upward spring while singing is +an ecstatic action that must be seen to be appreciated; he rises into +the air as though too happy to remain on earth, and opening his wings, +floats down, singing all the while. It is indescribable, but enchanting +to see. In courtship, too, as related, he makes effective use of this +exquisite movement. In simple food-hunting on the ground,--a most +prosaic occupation, truly,--on approaching a hummock of grass he bounds +over it instead of going around. In alighting on a tree he does not +pounce upon the twig he has selected, but upon a lower one, and passes +quickly up through the branches, as lithe as a serpent. So fond is he of +this exercise that one which I watched amused himself half an hour at a +time in a pile of brush; starting from the ground, slipping easily +through up to the top, standing there a moment, then flying back and +repeating the performance. Should the goal of his journey be a fence +picket, he alights on the beam which supports it, and hops gracefully to +the top. + +Like the robin, the mocking-bird seeks his food from the earth, +sometimes digging it, but oftener picking it up. His manner on the +ground is much like the robin's; he lowers the head, runs a few steps +rapidly, then erects himself very straight for a moment. But he adds to +this familiar performance a peculiar and beautiful movement, the object +of which I have been unable to discover. At the end of a run he lifts +his wings, opening them wide, displaying their whole breadth, which +makes him look like a gigantic butterfly, then instantly lowers his head +and runs again, generally picking up something as he stops. A +correspondent in South Carolina, familiar with the ways of the bird, +suggests that his object is to startle the grasshoppers, or, as he +expresses it, to "flush his game." I watched very closely and could not +fix upon any theory more plausible, though it seemed to be weakened by +the fact that the nestlings, as mentioned above, did the same thing +before they thought of looking for food. The custom is not invariable; +sometimes it is done, and sometimes not. + +The mocking-bird cannot be said to possess a gentle disposition, +especially during the time of nesting. He does not seem malicious, but +rather mischievous, and his actions resemble the naughty though not +wicked pranks of an active child. At that time he does, it must be +admitted, lay claim to a rather large territory, considering his size, +and enforces his rights with many a hot chase and noisy dispute, as +remarked above. Any mocking-bird who dares to flirt a feather over the +border of the ground he chooses to consider his own has to battle with +him. A quarrel is a curious operation, usually a chase, and the war-cry +is so peculiar and apparently so incongruous that it is fairly +laughable. It is a rough breathing, like the "huff" of an angry cat, and +a serious dispute between the birds reminds one of nothing but a +disagreement in the feline family. If the stranger does not take the +hint, and retire at the first huff, he is chased, over and under trees +and through branches, so violently that leaves rustle and twigs are +thrust aside, as long as the patience or wind holds out. On one occasion +the defender of his homestead kept up a lively singing all through the +furious flight, which lasted six or eight minutes,--a remarkable thing. + +To others than his own kind the mocker seems usually indifferent, with +the single exception of the crow. So long as this bird kept over the +salt marsh, or flew quite high, or even held his mouth shut, he was not +noticed; but let him fly low over the lawn, and above all let him "caw," +and the hot-headed owner of the place was upon him. He did not seem to +have any special plan of attack, like the kingbird or the oriole; his +aim appeared to be merely to worry the enemy, and in this he was +untiring, flying madly and without pause around a perching crow until he +took flight, and then attempting to rise above him. In this he was not +always successful, not being particularly expert on the wing, though I +have two or three times seen the smaller bird actually rest on the back +of the foe for three or four seconds at a time. + +The song of the free mocking-bird! With it ringing in my ear at this +moment, after having feasted upon it and gloried in it day and night for +many weeks, how can I criticise it! How can I do otherwise than fall +into rhapsody, as does almost every one who knows it and delights in it, +as I do! It is something for which one might pine and long, as the +Switzer for the Ranz-des-Vaches, and the more one hears it the more he +loves it. I think there will never come a May in my life when I shall +not long to fold my tent and take up my abode in the home of the +mocking-bird, and yet I cannot say what many do. For variety, glibness, +and execution the song is marvelous. It is a brilliant, bewildering +exhibition, and one listens in a sort of ecstasy almost equal to the +bird's own, for this, it seems to me, is the secret of the power of his +music; he so enjoys it himself, he throws his whole soul into it, and he +is so magnetic that he charms a listener into belief that nothing can be +like it. His manner also lends enchantment; he is seldom still. If he +begins in a cedar-tree, he soon flies to the fence, singing as he goes, +thence takes his way to a roof, and so on, changing his place every few +minutes, but never losing a note. His favorite perch is the top spire of +a pointed tree, low cedar or young pine, where he can bound into the air +as already described, spread his wings, and float down, never omitting a +quaver. It seems like pure ecstasy; and however critical one may be, he +cannot help feeling deep sympathy with the joyous soul that thus +expresses itself. With all the wonderful power and variety, the +bewitching charm, there is not the "feeling," the heavenly melody, of +the wood-thrush. As an imitator, I think he is much overrated. I cannot +agree with Lanier that + + "Whate'er birds did or dreamed, this bird could say;" + +and that the birds are jealous of his song, as Wilson says, seems +absurd. On the contrary, I do not think they recognize the counterfeit. +The tufted titmouse called as loudly and constantly all day as though no +mocking-bird shouted his peculiar and easily imitated call from the +house-top; the cardinal grosbeak sang every day in the grove, though the +mocker copied him more closely than any other bird. He repeats the +notes, rattles out the call, but he cannot put the cardinal's soul into +them. The song of every bird seems to me the expression of himself; it +is a perfect whole of its kind, given with proper inflections and +pauses, and never hurried; whereas, when the mocker delivers it, it is +simply one more note added to his repertory, uttered in his rapid +staccato, in his loud, clear voice, interpolated between incongruous +sounds, without expression, and lacking in every way the beauty and +attraction of the original. + +The song consists entirely of short staccato phrases, each phrase +repeated several times, perhaps twice, possibly five or six times. If he +has a list of twenty or thirty,--and I think he has more,--he can make +almost unlimited changes and variety, and can sing for two hours or +longer, holding his listener spellbound and almost without consciousness +that he has repeated anything. + +So winning and so lasting is the charm with which this bird enthralls +his lovers that scarcely had I left his enchanted neighborhood before +everything else was forgotten, and there remain of that idyllic month +only beautiful pictures and delightful memories. + + "O thou heavenly bird!" + + + + +A TRICKSY SPIRIT. + + Bright drops of tune, from oceans infinite + Of melody, sipped off the thin-edged wave + And trickling down the bank, discourses brave + Of serious matter that no man may guess, + Good-fellow greetings, cries of light distress; + All these but now within the house are heard: + O Death, wast thou too deaf to hear the bird? + + SIDNEY LANIER. + + + + +IV. + +A TRICKSY SPIRIT. + + +For bird-lovers who know the mocking-bird only as a captive in our +houses he has few attractions: a mere loud-voiced echo of the +inharmonious sounds man gathers about his home,--car-bells, street +cries, and other unpleasing noises,--and choosing for his performances +the hours one wants to sleep. Unfortunate is the neighborhood in which +one is kept. Such was my feeling about the bird before I knew him in +freedom, where he has a song of his own. But in my search for native +birds I often saw the mocker, was surprised to notice his intelligence +of look and manner, and at last took one into my bird-room, resolving +that the moment he began to "mock" he should be given to some one who +liked having the street in his house. My bird was very obliging in the +matter; six months I watched him daily, and he was kind enough not to +utter a sound, except an occasional harsh "chack." Probably he had too +much liberty and too many interests about him; whatever the reason, I +thanked him for it, and heartily enjoyed the study of his manners. + +The bird was perhaps the most intelligent one I ever watched, the +cat-bird being his only rival in that regard. Fear was unknown to him, +and from the moment of his arrival he was interested in everything that +took place around him; looking at each bird in succession; making close +study of every member of the family; noticing the sounds of the street, +including the sparrow broils on the porch-roof; in fact, extremely +wide-awake and observing. To the goldfinch's song he gave attention, +standing motionless except for a slight nervous jerk of one wing, +looking and listening as intently as though studying the notes for +future use. The freedom of the birds in the room surprised him, as he +showed plainly by the eager glances with which he followed every +movement and marked each act. Upon joining the party of the free, he +took note of pictures in a newspaper, distinguishing objects in the cut, +which he tried to pick up, as a small wheel and a bar. In colors he had +a choice, and his selection was red; from a vase of roses of many hues +he never failed to draw out the red one to pull it to pieces on the +floor. + +Liberty the mocking-bird emphatically enjoyed, and at once recognized a +string attached to his door as a device to deprive him of it; after +vainly trying to pick it apart, he betook himself to another cage, and +refused to go back to his own. In any strange cage he stood quietly +while I walked up to him, and made no attempt to leave his quarters, +knowing perfectly well that I did not care to shut the door upon him; +but when at home I could not lift my hands, or make the slightest +movement, without causing him to dart out of the cage instantly. Having +contention with his room-mates about the bits of apple put out for all +to enjoy, he often carried away a piece to eat at his leisure. From +habit he flew first to the top of a cage, that being his favorite +perching place; but he evidently appreciated that, if he dropped the +morsel, he should lose it through the wires; and after looking one side +and the other, plainly satisfying himself of this fact, he went to the +table with it. I never before saw a bird who did not have to learn the +treacherous nature of cage roofs by experience. He appeared to work +things out in his mind,--to reason, in truth. One cold morning in +spring, when the furnace fire was out, a large, brilliant lamp was put +by his cage to take off the chill, for he felt changes keenly. He seemed +to understand it at once, and though, no doubt, it was his first +experience of warmth from a light, he drew as near it as possible, and +remained there perfectly quiet until the sun warmed the room and it was +removed. Fear, as I said, he knew not, coming freely upon the desk, or +even upon my lap, after apple or bread, or anything he fancied. + +It was plain to see that this bird's first week with us was one of quiet +study and observation. Not a movement of bird or man escaped his notice. +He wished to understand, to take measure of his neighbors, to be master +of the situation. This was manifested not only by his thoughtful manner +and his wise and knowing looks, but by his subsequent conduct. During +this period, also, he submitted to impositions from all the birds, even +the smallest, without resentment. The wood-thrush easily drove him away +from the apple; the little goldfinch chased him from his perch. He +appeared to be meekness itself; but he was biding his time, he was +making up his mind. + +The first time the mocking-bird's door was opened he was not in the +least surprised; no doubt, seeing others at liberty, he had expected it. +At any rate, whatever his emotions, he instantly ran out on the perch +placed in his doorway and surveyed his new world from this position. He +was in no panic, not even in haste. When fully ready, he began his tour +of inspection. First, to see if he really could reach the trees without, +through those large, clear openings, he tried the windows, each of the +three, but gently, not bouncing against them so violently as to fall to +the floor, as more impetuous or less intelligent birds invariably do. +Having proved each to be impassable, he was satisfied, and never tried +again. Next, the ceiling interested him, and he flew all around the +room, touching it gently everywhere, to assure himself of its nature. +Convinced thus in a short time that his bounds were only widened, not +removed, he went on to investigate closely what he had looked at from a +distance; every bird-cage, inside as well as outside, if the owner +happened to be away, every piece of furniture, pictures, books, and the +pin-cushion,--where he was detained some time trying to carry off the +large black heads of shawl-pins. The looking-glass absorbed him most +completely on the first day; he flew against it, he hovered before it, +slowly passing from bottom to top, alighted on top and looked over +behind. I think he never solved that mystery to his own satisfaction, as +he did that of the window-glass, which must have been quite as +inexplicable, and it was never without a certain charm for him. He had +no trouble in finding his way home: standing on a cage next to his, he +saw his own door-perch, recognized it instantly (though he had been upon +it only once), and, being hungry, dropped to it and ran into the cage. + +The new-comer soon made thorough acquaintance with all his surroundings, +and had leisure to turn his attention to a little matter yet unsettled; +namely, his position in the small colony about him. The first few days, +as already noted, he submitted to impositions; allowed himself to be +driven away from the slices of apple on the matting, and turned from the +bathing-dish on the floor. This was, however, the calm before the storm; +though after all that is hardly a correct comparison, since there was +never the least "storm" about his manner; he was composure itself. +Having calmly and patiently considered the state of affairs, he suddenly +asserted himself and took the position he felt was his right,--at the +head. It soon became evident that he was prepared to defend the +situation by force of arms. He conducted his conquests systematically, +and subdued one after the other, beginning with the least. + +The English goldfinch had been very saucy, scolding and flying over him +as he went around the room, in the small bird's way; but one day it came +to a sudden end. The goldfinch in his cage scolded the stranger for +alighting too near his door. The mocking-bird turned, looked sharply at +him, ruffled up his feathers, and jumped heavily to the top of the cage, +turning one eye down upon his small foe with an air that said, "Who is +this midget that insults me?" The finch was surprised, but did not fully +appreciate the significance of this change of manner until he was let +out, when he found at once that his amiable neighbor had suddenly become +an active enemy, who chased him around the room till he panted for +breath, and would not allow him a moment's rest or peace anywhere. This +was strange experience for the little fellow, for heretofore none of the +large birds had ever disturbed him. He scolded furiously, but he went; +no one could stand against that determined approach. If the goldfinch +wished to bathe, his persecutor took his place on the nearest perch, not +a foot away, thus driving him to the floor with the intention of using +the big birds' bath. He circled around the edge, but it did not suit, +and he returned to his own, looked at his enemy, spattered a little, +went back to the big dish, returned again, and thus vibrated between the +two for several minutes, while the mocking-bird stood motionless, not +offering any molestation, but plainly wishing to worry him. The final +act occurred when both chanced accidentally to be in the same cage, not +the home of either. The mocking-bird, without provocation, dropped from +the upper perch upon the finch, who uttered a sharp cry and darted away. +Two or three little feathers flew, though no hurt could be seen; but the +smaller bird panted violently for a half hour, as though frightened, and +for four or five hours sat quietly on a perch, neither eating nor making +a sound,--a very unusual proceeding for the lively chattering little +fellow. This proved to be a declaration of open war, and was so +vigorously followed up that before many days the larger bird's door was +not opened until his victim had had his outing and returned to his home. +Teasing never lost its attraction for him, however. He delighted to +alight on the cage and worry his little foe, or to stand near his door +and stare at him. On one such occasion a curious scene occurred. They +stood three inches apart, with the wires between them, when the finch +suddenly began reaching upward as far as possible; taller and taller he +stretched up, till he fairly stood on tiptoe. The mocking-bird, not to +be outdone, imitated the movement on his side of the bars, of course +towering far above his copy. It seemed to afford both of them great +satisfaction; perhaps it expressed contempt more fully than was possible +in any other way. + +The largest bird in the room, a Mexican thrush, was considerably +stronger and fiercer than our native wood-thrush, and it seemed absurd +for the mocking-bird to measure swords with him. So it would have been +but for the fact that the Mexican, having lost part of his wing +feathers, was clumsy, unable to fly readily, and no match for his +active, agile antagonist; he always conquered when hostilities reached +the point of a personal encounter, but he was soon soured, and declined +to meet the enemy. Two or three times they flew up together, like +quarrelsome cocks, but the decisive and final dispute was over the +bathing-dish. It happened that morning that the Mexican came out before +the goldfinch was shut up, and hence the the mocking-bird's door was not +yet opened. He flew at once to the top of his neighbor's cage to dress +his feathers and shake himself out. It looked like a deliberate insult, +and the captive in his cage evidently so regarded it; he crouched on the +upper perch and opened his mouth at the enemy, who calmly went on with +his operations. The moment the finch was safe at home I opened the door, +and the mocking-bird came out in haste. Pretending not to see the +Mexican, he descended to the bathing-dish, doubtless to cool his heated +blood. The first splash, however, interested the enemy on his roof, and +he flew to the floor; but the bather paid no apparent attention to him, +and went on with his business. The Mexican approached slowly, a step at +a time, with a low, warning "chack," which meant, "Make way there, I'm +coming." The mocking-bird, manifestly hearing him, did not take the +hint, nor look at his assailant, but serenely continued his splashing. +The Mexican advanced to within six inches before he was convinced that +force would be necessary. When he decided upon an attack, he manifested +it by a grotesque little hop a few inches into the air, but this not +alarming the enemy he drew near to the dish. Now at last the bather +condescended to notice him. He stood up in the water and faced his +adversary, bowing rather slowly and with dignity, feathers ruffled, and +beak opening in the curious way usual with him,--stretching it wide, +then closing it, and constantly repeating the operation. + +After looking a moment at this peculiar display, the Mexican hopped upon +the edge of the dish, and in the same instant, as though moved by the +same machinery, the mocking-bird sprang backward out upon the floor. The +usurper paid him no further attention, but proceeded to bathe, while his +discomfited rival took a stand on the edge of the disputed dish, which +was ten inches in diameter, and fanned his wings violently. I cannot +otherwise name this extraordinary movement, the wings raised high above +his head, and moved quickly back and forth with a fanning motion. The +Mexican turned suddenly to him and he flew. Two or three times he +repeated the performance, but was each time forced to fly before the +large, strong beak wielded by his opponent, who finished his bath, and +retired to a perch to dress his feathers. Now the mocking-bird resumed +his splashing; but when thoroughly wet, the thought seemed to strike him +that he was not in good fighting trim, and must dry himself as quickly +as possible to be ready for war, which he at once did by flirting and +shaking himself, bounding from one end to the other of a perch, as +though he had suddenly gone mad. He was soon in order, and more than +ready to resume hostilities. The enemy still occupied his favorite +position upon his roof. Two cages stood side by side on a shelf, and +across the tops of them, with great noise and tramping of feet, the +Mexican delighted to run, thus amusing himself an hour at a time. Seeing +him off his guard, the wary fellow watched his chance, and when his foe +was at one end of the course he suddenly alighted on the other. The +Mexican ran madly at him, clattering his bill furiously, when he +gracefully rose from his place, flew over, and perched on the other end. +The run was repeated, and the mischievous bird continued the annoyance +until his victim was exhausted, panting, and in great excitement. From +that day the Mexican gave up the contest with his too lively antagonist, +and refused to come out of his cage at all; so that in fact the stranger +reduced the colony to submission. + +With the wood-thrush, the encounters differed from both the preceding. +This bird had opened hostilities when the mocker first appeared, +presuming on being the older resident, and the only bird who cared much +to be on the floor. The disputed object, as already mentioned, was the +apple, which they received on the matting, two pieces being placed at +some distance apart. Seeing the thrush engaged with one, the +mocking-bird quietly dropped to the other, when instantly the thrush +deserted his own, ran hastily across the room, and claimed that piece. +As he approached, the mocking-bird lifted himself into the air by a +beautiful and graceful movement; he did not seem to fly, but to simply +rise on wing. The thrush being occupied with that piece, the new-comer +descended upon the abandoned slice; but the inhospitable bird wanted +that also. Even when three or more pieces were at their disposal, the +thrush tried to monopolize them all, though the plan of collecting them +in one place never seemed to occur to him. After a little of this +contention, the mocker generally succeeded in carrying off a bit to some +quiet place, where he could eat at his leisure. Wishing them to live +peaceably, I placed a slice of the fruit on a high gas-fixture, where +the stranger was fond of alighting and no other bird ever went. He +understood at once, flew over to it, and ate his fill. The Mexican +observed this, and tramped over his cages (it was before he had retired +from the world) in a rage, seeing "good times going on," and feeling, +evidently, unable to fly so high. Somewhat later the thrush noticed the +excitement, flew heavily up, with difficulty alighted beside the apple, +snatched it off, and carried it to the floor. + +Settlement of difficulties between these two birds was no chance +happening; it was, to all appearance, a regularly planned campaign, and, +like a savage, the aggressor put on his war paint and danced his war +dance. It was extremely interesting to watch, although painful to +realize that a bird could be animated by emotions so--must I call them +human? He selected, for the declaration of his intentions, a moment when +the thrush was in his own house and the door open. The approach to this +cage was by a light ladder, the top round of which, about a foot in +length, rested perhaps four inches from the cage, and level with the +door. Upon this round the mocking-bird executed what has been called his +war dance, shaking himself, shuffling (or moving along without raising +the feet), and agitating his feathers in such a way that they rustled +like stiff new silk. After a few minutes of this performance he flew +away, returning presently to repeat it. This he did again and again, and +his motive was plain. "You've domineered long enough," his manner said: +"now come out here, and we'll settle this matter at once." The bird in +the cage, though plainly surprised at this sudden exhibition of spirit, +received it like a thrush--in silent dignity. He paid no attention to +the demonstration further than to keep his eye upon the enemy, unless he +appeared to think of entering the door, when he turned his open bill in +that direction. A long time having passed in these manoeuvres, the +thrush, apparently tired of waiting for the belligerent to vacate his +front doorstep, retired to the upper perch, and the mocking-bird +immediately entered below, took his stand by the food-dish, and defied +the owner, who came with open beak to dispute him, but after a few +moments' silent protest returned to the high perch, leaving the intruder +to eat and drink as he chose. + +Another point to settle was the possession of the apple. The next time +the thrush, not warned by previous operations, hurried up to claim a +slice of the fruit which his foe had marked for his own, he was met by +resistance. To avoid the rush, the mocking-bird lifted himself a few +inches, but came down on the same spot. The thrush, astonished, but +thrush-like to the last, stood motionless where he had stopped, his body +drawn to a point, bill slightly open and turned toward the bold +intruder. That bird ignored his attitude and placidly went on eating, +and three similar experiences ended that annoyance. + +One thing still remained unsettled: the mocking-bird decided to change +his residence. No reason was apparent, but he preferred a special place +in the room, a certain end of a particular shelf; and no matter what +cage was there, he insisted on taking possession. The day he determined +on this removal, he went in while the resident--the thrush--was out, +and, having eaten, proceeded to the upper perches, and began jumping +back and forth on them, as if at home. In due time the owner returned, +visited the food-dishes, and started for the upper regions, but was met +by a threatening attitude from the bird already there. He seemed to +think the matter not worth quarreling over, since he readily settled +himself on the middle perch, where he made a most elaborate and +deliberate toilet, dressing every feather with care, and spending a half +hour over the operation. All this time the invader stood on the top +perch, backed against the wires, his long tail on one side like the +train of a lady's dress, invincible determination in his manner. The +calm indifference of the house-owner evidently did not please him, and +the long drawn-out toilet was irritating; he grew thirsty, and dropped +to the floor to drink, when the thrush remonstrated by a low, rapid +"chook, chook, chook," and the mocking-bird made an impatient dive at +him. This silenced but apparently did not hurt the bird, who stayed as +long as he chose, and then quietly came out. From that moment the +usurper claimed the cage, and the amiable owner easily contented himself +with the one the other had deserted. + +When the mocking-bird had thoroughly established himself in every right +and privilege he chose to consider his own, I hoped there would be +peace, but I had not sounded the depths in his character; he began to +tease. Not content with complete victory, life seemed dull without some +object to worry. I really think it was his amusement; he certainly went +at it as if it were. I noticed him one morning, standing on the ladder +before his door, apparently working himself up to something. He first +looked at me,--I had a book, and pretended not to see him,--then at the +thrush, who was on the floor as usual; he jerked his body this way and +that, puffed out his feathers, especially on the throat and breast, held +his tail on one side and turned upward at an angle of forty-five +degrees, which gave him a wicked expression. He looked full of life to +the tips of his toes, and greatly excited. The other birds observed him; +the Mexican in his cage rustled his wings, jerked his body, and at last +gave his usual cry. Even the little goldfinch was impressed and looked +on with interest. + +All this agitation did not escape the notice of the bird on the floor, +who stood silent, plainly understanding, and waiting for the next move. +Finally the mocking-bird started, gracefully and without haste. He first +flew easily and lightly to the desk, in a moment to the back of a chair, +then deliberately to an arm, next to the seat, and lastly to a round; at +each step pausing, shaking himself, and threatening. When he reached the +floor, he ran a few steps toward the thrush, stopped short, erected +himself very straight, and puffed out as big as possible; then another +little run, and the operation was repeated. He proceeded till within a +foot of the thrush, when he alternated the upright position with a +lowered head, and bill pointed toward the foe, changing from one to the +other very suddenly. When he came so near, the thrush crouched flat on +the floor, with beak turned squarely against the approaching bird, and +thus awaited the onslaught. + +In that attitude the mocking-bird did not apparently like to attack him. +He threatened a long time, then retreated gradually, making feints, +turning, running a few inches, and bringing up suddenly with a half turn +back. In this manner he moved away for some distance, then flew to the +round of the chair, the seat, the arm, the back, and so on till he +reached the ladder again. Then for the first time the thrush changed his +position and rose to his feet, when, without the least warning, the +mocker flung himself madly after him, and the thrush, unprepared, ran, +with a sharp cry. Obviously the mocking-bird, finding the first method +of attack, which was probably his usual one, a failure, decided to try +another, as the event proved, successfully. The excitement of this +performance evidently gave him pleasure, no doubt helped to pass away +the long hours, for be often indulged in it, always making his approach +in the same deliberate way, tripping daintily a step or two at a time, +examining everything in a careless way, tasting a piece of apple-skin, +lifting a bit of thread, toying and dallying to all appearance, as he +moved, still always advancing, and never turning aside from his purpose +till he reached the distance of a foot from the thrush, crouching +motionless with crown feathers erect. At that point he often stood a +moment, looking grimly at his victim, then gave a quick, exaggerated +jump which carried him forward not more than an inch, but sent the +thrush, in a panic, running half across the room, where he brought up in +a heap,--his claws sprawled as they slipped on the matting, every +feather standing up,--and made no attempt to draw his feet together. A +slow, formal attack he could meet, but a sudden rush was irresistible. +Then the assailant turned, slowly, gracefully, the personification of +tranquillity, his air saying, "Who's done anything?" yet taking a direct +line for the enemy, approaching in the same way, by easy stages, but +relentlessly drawing nearer and nearer, till he ended by a quick plunge, +which sent the thrush off with a cry. In a moment he began again, +teasing, following, tormenting; so wily, so wicked, so determined! + +The motions of this bird were most bewitching; his flight the perfection +of grace. He never flew straight across the room as if on business, but +always in a dancing, loitering, easy way; hovering to examine a picture, +slowly pausing on wing to look at anything, turning, wheeling, up or +down or any way, buoyant and light as the air itself. It was his delight +to exercise on wing about the room, diving between the rounds of the +ladder, darting under a stretched string or into a cage full dash. His +feet found rest on any point, however small,--the cork in a bottle, the +tip of a gas-burner, or the corner post of a chair; nothing was too +small or too delicately balanced for his light touch, and he never upset +anything. He enjoyed running up and down a ladder six feet long with six +or eight rounds, passing over it so rapidly that he could not be seen to +touch it at any point, yet not using his wings he must have stepped upon +every round. He always used his legs with a freedom rarely seen in a +bird, not moving them together as usual in his kind, but handling them +with astonishing independence of each other. + +The body of this bird was capable of wonderful expression, not only in +the free use of each member, but every feather seemed under his +voluntary control. The spasmodic movement of the wings in excitement, +common to many birds, was accomplished in an original manner by holding +the wing slightly away from the body, and spreading or opening it a +little at each jerk, without changing its position toward his side. His +tail seemed as loosely connected with his body as if it were hung on +wires; it moved even with his breathing, and the emphatic flirt of the +member was an insult which every bird in the room understood. Intense +interest in any sound was indicated by raising the feathers over the +ears alone, which gave him the droll appearance of wearing velvet "ear +muffs." In expressing other emotions he could erect the feathers of his +chin, his shoulders or his back, either part alone, or all together, as +he chose. A true bird of the south, he did not enjoy our climate, and if +the room became too cool he made his opinion known by drawing his head +down into his shoulders, with every feather on his body fluffed out, +even to the base of the beak, till he looked as if wrapped in delicate +gray furs to his nose, and almost burying his eyes. + +The mocking-bird's emotions were so intense and so originally displayed +that he was a constant source of interest. A hand-glass lying face up +gave opportunity for an amusing exhibition one day. Leaning over it, he +puffed out every feather, opened his mouth, and tried the glass with his +beak at every point. Meeting no satisfaction, he turned to leave it, but +first peeped slyly over the edge to see if the stranger were still +there, no doubt unable to get over his surprise at seeing a bird in that +position and ready to meet his bill at every point. The same glass +standing up brought out a different demonstration. He stood in front of +it and swelled himself out, while the feathers of the shoulders and +breast were erected. Then he opened his mouth wide and attacked the +reflection, but was astonished to meet the glass. He touched the bill of +his double with his own, and moved all the way to the bottom of the +glass, not taking it away, but apparently trying to seize the one which +opposed his. He lowered his head as though to take hold of the enemy's +foot, then pulled himself up as straight as a soldier, wings and tail +constantly jerking with excitement. After indulging for some time in +these proceedings, he dodged around behind the glass, plainly expecting +to pounce upon his opponent, and surprised not to do so. Several times +he drew himself up, swelled out his breast, and blustered before the +glass. Once he flew up with the reflection in the manner of a +quarrelsome cock, and upon reaching the top of the glass, naturally went +over and landed behind, without an enemy in sight. Upon this he stared a +moment, as if dazed, then shook himself out, and flew away in evident +disgust. + +The deliberate, leisurely dressing of plumage, with which many birds +pass away the dull hours, is an occupation in which the mocking-bird +never had time to indulge. He was a bird of affairs; he had too much on +his mind for loitering. A few sudden, thorough shakes, a rapid snatching +of the wing and tail feathers through the beak, or, after a bath, a +violent beating the air with both wings while holding tightly to the +perch with his feet, sufficed for his toilet. Notwithstanding his +apparent carelessness, his plumage was soft and exquisite in texture, +and when wet the downy breast feathers matted together and hung in +locks, like hair. Through a common magnifying glass each tiny barbule +was seen to be ringed with gray and silvery white, so finely that the +rings could hardly be seen. + +The most beautiful and peculiar attitude this bird assumed was when +conducting an attack upon a small object. Seeing one day a steel +pen-point black with ink, he stood before it at a respectful distance, +and raised both wings over his back till they almost touched each other, +holding the tail on one side. In two or three seconds he lowered the +wings a moment, then raised them again, while his tail leaned the other +side. After half a dozen such feints he delivered a gentle peck, and +instantly hopped back out of the way. Seeing that it did not move, he +took it in his bill and flew to the floor, where he soon satisfied +himself that it was not a new variety of beetle. This was always his +method with any new object of small size. + +Not only did this doughty warrior vanquish the ordinary birds about him, +but when a gray African parrot made his appearance in the room (on a +short visit) he boldly attacked him, in spite of his size and strength. +The parrot had a temporary perch before the window, and on the cage +nearest to him the mocking-bird took his place, and after posturing and +threatening, stooped to a crouching position, and then darted past him, +trying to hit him as he went. The first time this occurred the parrot +whirled on his perch and cried "Whoo!" and after that greeted every +charge with a very good imitation of a policeman's rattle, probably as +the loudest and most terrifying noise he could make. So determined was +the belligerent fellow to subdue or annihilate the larger bird, and so +reckless were his attacks, that I had to keep him a prisoner during the +few days the parrot was in the room, for hospitality must not be +violated. It is interesting to note that so great was his variety of +resource that he had a distinctly different method of warfare in each of +the six cases mentioned. + +A dignified composure was so natural to my bird that he was never +startled out of it, not even when suddenly enveloped in a shawl, a +proceeding that greatly alarms birds of less self-possession. It was +necessary on one occasion to catch him to return him to his cage, where +he might be protected from the cold of the night. All the usual ways +were tried without success, so lightly did he slip away, so gracefully +and calmly did he flutter around the room, not in the least disturbed or +confused by the darkness, and quite willing to play hide-and-seek all +night. No other way availing, the last resource was tried--throwing a +shawl over him as he stood crouched on the top of the cage, ready for +instant flight. Not a flutter nor a cry arose, and it seemed that he +must have escaped; but on looking through the cage from below, he was +seen flattened against the wires, but perfectly quiet, submissive to the +inevitable, like any other philosopher. He was gathered up in the folds +and carefully uncovered before his own door, when he simply hopped to a +perch and coolly returned the gaze of his captors, not a feather out of +place, not in the smallest degree disconcerted. + +Amusements were not lacking in this interesting life aside from the +pleasures of worrying and teasing, which plainly were entertainments for +him. He indulged in other performances which distinctly were play. +Especially was this true of the habit he imitated from the +Mexican,--tramping across two cages heavily, with as much noise as +possible, and then with an extravagant jump landing on another cage, +where he was received with a scolding, which apparently pleased him as +much as any part of it. A specially quick flying-run rattled a paper +fastened against the wall, which delighted him greatly; and when the +cages were covered with paper, to put an end to the proceeding which +annoyed the residents, he regarded it as a particular attention, and +enjoyed it more than ever, doubtless because it enabled him to make a +louder noise. Often he diverted himself by a mad frolic in his cage; +from place to place he went half flying, and scarcely touching anything; +back and forth, with great flutter of wings and great noise; up and +down, under and over and around his perches, in the same wild way, so +that it seemed as if he must beat his brains out. Then suddenly, when +most riotous, he alighted like a feather, the image of serenity and +repose. Sometimes he was seized with this sort of fury of play when out +of his cage, and then he flung himself about the room in the same +frantic manner, scarcely touching a perch, diving under a table, between +the rounds of a chair, over a gas-fixture, behind and through any +openings he could find. Should some bird in the room disapprove of this +behavior, and scold, as the finch was quite apt to do, the mocking-bird +instantly alighted beside him, humped his back till he looked deformed, +sidled two or three steps towards him, stopped, and stared at his +critic; then two or three steps more, stopping again, and in every way +acting more like a mischievous monster than a bird, till the astonished +finch was reduced to silence, and as meek as poor Mrs. Quilp before the +antics of her malicious little spouse. + +In all these actions, even in his contests with his room-mates, no anger +ever appeared on the part of the mocking-bird; everything seemed done to +amuse himself and pass away the weary hours, rather than from desire to +hurt his neighbors. In fact, he never did positively touch a bird, to my +knowledge, though he always acted as though he intended to annihilate +them. He could hardly be called malicious; rather (shall we say?) +mischievous, and like Ariel "a tricksy spirit." + + + + +THE "WISE BLUEBIRD." + + Never was sweeter music-- + Sunshine turned into song. + To set us dreaming of summer, + When the days and the dreams are long. + + Winged lute that we call a bluebird, + You blend in a silver strain + The sound of the laughing waters, + The patter of spring's sweet rain, + The voice of the wind, the sunshine, + And fragrance of blossoming things. + Ah! you are a poem of April, + That God endowed with wings. + + EBEN. E. REXFORD. + + + + +V. + +THE "WISE BLUEBIRD." + + "A wise bluebird + Puts in his little heavenly word." + + +The characteristic air and expression of the bluebird, and his +enchanting little warble, could not be better described in a page of +writing than the poet has here done in a couplet. + +Who has not seen him in his favorite resting-place, the lowest branch of +an apple-tree, standing up very straight, crown feathers erected, honest +little countenance squarely facing one, motionless and silent, looking +the embodiment of wisdom! + +A pair of bluebirds lived in my house for nearly a year, and the calm, +imposing manner of the male I have never seen disturbed. In the presence +of birds much larger than himself he never lost his equanimity, paid not +the slightest attention to any one, went about his daily duties and +pleasures exactly as though there were not another bird, except his +mate, in the room. Quite otherwise was his little spouse: quick, +nervous, easily frightened, yet assuming the responsibility of +everything, even her lord's comfort and safety. Her very attitude was +different; she held her body horizontal, never perpendicular, as he did; +and she was more lively in movement. She was a brave little soul, too. +Even when greatly annoyed by a larger bird, she never failed to stand +upon the defensive, open her mouth, and sometimes remonstrate in low, +gentle talk. Nor did she--after she felt at home--allow a stranger to +enter her door. She boldly faced the largest bird in the room, and +always forced him to retire, while her mate stood calm and cool and +"wise," on the upper perch. More than this, she seemed to feel it part +of her duty to defend and protect his lordship, as though he were too +fragile to come into contact with the rough side of life. Nothing could +be droller than to see her stand guard while he bathed in the common +dish on the table, and fly furiously at the grosbeak, or any bird coming +too near her precious idol, who meanwhile placidly proceeded with his +bath in the most matter-of-fact manner, as though expecting to be +protected. I have seen similar conduct in a wild pair: the female +defending her nestlings against some fancied danger, scolding, flying +around the intruder, and taking the whole care upon herself; while her +spouse occupied the topmost twig of the tree on which his family was in +trouble, uttering at short intervals his musical cry of distress, one +rich, loud note. + +I did, however, on one occasion see a male bluebird excited in the +defense of his young. It was in North Carolina, where a nestling chanced +to alight on the favorite resting-place of a mocking-bird, and the +latter a moment afterward came to his usual perch not a foot from the +wild-eyed youngster. Then arose a great outcry from both bluebirds, and +one after the other swooped down at that mocking-bird, coming so near I +thought they must hit him. Again and again they returned to the charge +with loud cries, while the mocking-bird stood quiet, crouched as though +to dash into the little one, and jerking wings and tail in a wicked +manner. It lasted but a moment, for the nestling itself was scared and +flew to another branch, upon which the attack came to an end, and the +mother went to the baby, but the father stood on a perch near the enemy, +and scolded for some time. + +Perhaps this individual bluebird had learned to assist in the family +defense, for they had other troubles. The nest was in an unsafe spot, +the hollow dead limb of a tall pine-tree, about seventy feet above the +ground. The opening was in the lower side of the sloping branch, making +it very easy for a nestling to fall out, and that is what I think +happened the day before the little scene above described. + +Hearing cries of distress from the pine grove, I hastened down to see if +I could be of any assistance. Both bluebirds were on a low tree, about a +foot apart, uttering constantly the mournful notes I had heard. +Evidently a tragedy of some sort had occurred, and I thought at once of +a falling little one. I looked carefully around the tree while the +parents came down near me, much disturbed. I found nothing, but a gale +was blowing and a little bird might easily have been driven far away. It +was a serious matter plainly, for the cries went on without intermission +the rest of the day. + +During that time I saw a curious and interesting attempt at consolation +on the part of the male. He flew away, and returned in a few moments +with something in his beak. Alighting near his mate, he began a low, +tender twitter, at the same time offering the morsel to her. She moved a +few inches away; he followed, still coaxing. She flew to another branch, +refusing to look at it. He followed, still asking her to accept it. At +last she flew away, and he seemed astounded, stood as if he did not +know what to do next, hesitated several minutes, when a bright thought +seemed to strike him, and he carried it to the nest. + +The pair in my room were a most affectionate and gentle couple; no +disputes, not even the smallest difference, arose between them. If one +wished to bathe while the other was using the bath-tub, he stood on the +edge till his turn came. In the same way one usually waited for the +other to finish a lunch before going down himself, though on rare +occasions they descended together for a social meal. If she were +alarmed, and went to the floor, as at first sometimes happened, he at +once appeared in the door, looking anxiously after her, and calling +tenderly. If she did not return, he flew down himself, ran about till he +found her, and, after talking in a low tone for some time, started for +home, when she followed him, showing that she was reassured. They always +sat on the same perch, and on cool days as near each other as possible, +first one and then the other "hitching" a little nearer. After bathing +they sunned themselves together, even when in the cage, where the +sunshine came only into one corner, and they crowded so closely that +there was not room to spread out. Even that discomfort never elicited a +harsh word, though he enjoyed spreading himself very completely, bending +his legs, resting his breast on the floor, and opening his wings to +their full extent. + +This bird's anxiety when his mate was out of his sight did not, however, +compare with her unrest in his absence, for her affection seemed to be +of the motherly or protecting sort. Before they became familiar with the +room, and learned that, though unseen, the partner was not lost, the +moment he disappeared from view she began running around the cage +excitedly, looking everywhere, and calling loudly. At first he answered, +but, deciding to try his wings, he swept around the room, came--as some +birds do--against the window, and fell to the floor, when instantly both +were perfectly silent. She looked out apprehensively, and as soon as he +recovered breath he flew to the top of their own cage. Then her +solicitude turned to annoyance; she went to the top perch, and gently +nipped his toes (which she never did to strangers) as a slight reproof. +He became accustomed to going out and in sooner than his mate, for she +was shy and inclined to stay at home, and she suffered much anxiety; +before long she too grew accustomed to freedom, and expressed no further +fears when he was out. + +Making arrangements for the night was an interesting event in bluebird +life. They always selected the highest perch in the darkest end of the +cage, and placed themselves so close together that they looked like a +wide ball, or two balls that had been almost pressed into one when in a +very soft state. In the morning the feathers on the side next the mate +were crushed flat, requiring much shaking and dressing to give them +their ordinary appearance. What was curious, the female took the +outside, no doubt with the motherly motive of taking care of him. To see +them settle themselves was pleasing. Being more quiet and less nervous +than his spouse, the singer generally retired first, some time before +she was ready, and composed himself in a moment in his corner, for they +were never restless at evening; she followed when she chose. +Occasionally, however, she went first, taking her place about as far as +usual from the wires, and leaving space for him. But if he went to his +place, there was not room to turn around, facing the middle of the cage, +as was their custom; and he seemed to appreciate the difficulty, for he +hopped up on the outside, or the wrong side of her. Instantly she jumped +to a lower perch, when he sidled up to his regular place, and she at +once returned and took her usual position beside him. One night +something startled them, and both flew wildly around the cage. I +produced a light to show them the perches, so they might quiet +themselves again. The male readily did so, but she remained on the lower +perch. I went close to the wires and began to speak soothingly, to calm +her, and induce her to resume her place, when, to my surprise, she began +to reply to me, every time I spoke, standing less than a foot from me. +She stared me full in the face, not at all disturbed, and answered every +word I said with her musical call, in a low tone, as if to tell me the +story of the fright. We kept up the queer little chat for several +minutes, and she did not return to his side that night. + +One advantage of studying two birds of a kind at the same time is to +observe the talk between them, which has great interest for me. This +pair were exceedingly talkative at first, uttering not only the usual +musical three-syllable warble or call, which Lanier aptly calls the +"heavenly word," but often soft twittering prattle, of varying +inflection and irregular length, which was certainly the most +interesting bird-talk I ever heard. When they could not see me they +indulged in it more freely, with changing tones at different times, and +after they became accustomed to the room and its inhabitants it was +neither so frequent nor so earnest. Often at night, when one--perhaps in +a dream--fell off the perch, I heard much low, tender talk, almost in a +whisper, before all was quiet again; and when another bird flew wildly +around the room, there was always a remark or two in an interested tone. +The male did most of the talking, carrying on, often for a long time, a +constant flow of what sounded marvelously like comments and criticisms, +while his mate replied occasionally with the usual call. Certain notes +plainly had a specific meaning, even to the others in the room. One in +particular was peculiar and low, but upon its utterance every bird +became instantly silent and looked at the cage, while the bluebirds +themselves were so absorbed, gazing apparently into blank space, that I +could easily put my hands on them before they observed me. For several +minutes this low note would be repeated, and all the birds stare at +nothing, till I began to feel almost uncomfortable, as I have done at +similar staring at nothing on the part of animals. One can hardly resist +the feeling that these creatures can see something invisible to our +eyes. On one occasion, when the male uttered this note, the female was +just about to eat; she stood as if petrified, with head halfway down to +the food, for two or three minutes. + +What I have called talk was a very low twitter in a conversational tone, +on one note, not at all in a singing tone, like the usual warble or +call. I have also heard it from wild bluebirds, when I could get near +enough. From the first, as said above, the male did most of the talking, +and the habit grew upon him, till he became a regular babbler, standing +on the top perch, and keeping it up persistently all day long. I think +it arose from the fact that the greater number of birds in the room were +thrushes, who sang very softly, without opening the mouth. With this +gentle ripple of song the bluebird's voice harmonized perfectly, and he +almost entirely discontinued his lovely song, while indulging himself in +talk by the hour. Strange to say, I soon noticed that his mate did not +approve of it, and would not stand on the perch beside him while he +continued it. At first she turned sharply towards him, and he showed +that he understood her wishes by ceasing for a while; but as the habit +grew, and he was not so easily silenced, she more and more deserted his +side, and after two or three weeks I heard occasionally a gentle +remonstrance from her. I do not believe a really harsh tone can come +from a bluebird throat. One day they were taking their usual midday nap +on the same perch, when a thrush across the window began his low song. +That started the bluebird, and he added his chatter, which awakened his +mate. She endured it for about five seconds, and then she suddenly +stretched the wing nearest him so far that he was obliged to move away, +when she instantly hopped down herself. + +The two bluebirds differed in intelligence. The female was quicker to +take an idea, but the male sooner conquered his fear. The first time I +offered meal-worms to them she was so lively as to secure more than her +share; but he learned in a day or two that worms were to be had outside, +especially on my desk, when he at once flew over to me and demanded +them, in the funniest little defiant way, looking at me most +significantly, and wiping his bill ostentatiously, then jerking himself +with great show of impatience. Words could not be plainer. Neither of +them had difficulty in telling me their food-dish was empty; they stood +on the edge and looked at me, then scraped the bill several times, +making much noise about it, then looked at me again. I knew in a moment, +the first time, what they wanted. When the male found out that another +bird alighted on a stick I held out to him, and was carried off upon it, +he seemed to be seized with curiosity, and the next time I offered it he +jumped upon it beside the other, and allowed himself to be lifted to the +desk. At one time, in flying around, he caught his feet in the coarse +net curtains I hung before the windows to keep strange birds from trying +to fly out. I went at once to him and took him off. He scolded, +fluttered, and pecked, and, when I had released him, flew directly +against another curtain and caught again. I went over to him, and this +time he understood that I was helping him; he neither struggled nor +pecked, and flew quietly when I set him free. + +The bluebird never showed any curiosity about the room or the world +outside the windows, but sat on his door perch for hours, with a sharp +eye to the worm supply. The appearance of the cup that held them was a +signal for him to come down and beg for them, but his little mate never +dared trust herself on the desk, though when I threw a worm on the floor +she invariably secured it. So fond was she of this delicacy that she +once played a saucy trick upon a scarlet tanager. Having received a +worm, he went into the first open door he saw,--which happened to be the +bluebird's,--to find a place to manipulate the morsel, which he never +swallowed whole. Madam stood on the perch just above the entrance, and +as he came in she leaned over and snatched it out of his mouth, +swallowed it, wiped her bill, and turned to him, ready for another. His +stare of blank amazement was amusing to see, but he quickly made up his +mind that it was not a safe place to eat, and when I gave him another he +went to the roof of the same cage. She instantly mounted the top perch, +put up her bill and seized the worm; but he held on, dragged it away, +and then retired to his own cage with it. She positively could not +resist this temptation, and even from her own cherished spouse she would +sometimes snatch the desired tidbit. + +The bluebirds' method of bathing differed from any I have noticed. They +put the head under water, and held it there, while spattering vigorously +with wings and tail. On leaving the bath the female fanned herself dry, +holding tightly to the perch and beating her wings with violence, while +dancing back and forth the whole length of the perch, in a bewitching +manner. Her mate fanned himself also, adding a very pretty lateral shake +of the wings, and raising the feathers on the crown and throat till he +looked twice as big as usual. But he was very fond of sunning himself +dry, in the attitude already spoken of. That position, by the way, was a +not unusual one with him; he often hopped the length of three feet +before a blind which stood against the wall, his legs bent, head nearly +touching the floor, and tail thrust almost straight up. A droll figure +he made. After hopping to the end of the blind, he would dash around +behind it, as if he expected or hoped to find something. + +After moulting, the birds feathered out beautifully, and their spirits +rose in proportion. They delighted in flight, making long, sweeping +circles around the room, again and again, without stopping. A few weeks +later, as spring approached, they grew somewhat belligerent towards the +other inhabitants of the place; driving every bird away from their cage, +even following them to their chosen resting-places, insisting on their +right to every perch in the room. Then, too, began signs of courtship +between the lovely pair. The first thing I noticed was at worm-feeding +time. One day I had given each of them their portion. The female +swallowed hers instantly, and I turned to another cage, when I heard a +low, coaxing cry many times repeated. I looked around. The male stood on +the upper perch, still holding his worm, which he usually dispatched as +quickly as his mate did hers; and she was on a lower perch, looking up +at him, mouth open, wings fluttering, asking for it. While I looked, he +hopped down beside her, she opened her mouth wide, and he fed her as if +she were a nestling. He was more amiable than a wild bluebird I once +saw, who had brought up a long earthworm, and was beating it on top of +a post preparatory to swallowing it, when his little spouse--who was +sitting at the time--came to the fence rail below him, and asked in the +same way for a bit. So far from sharing it with her, this greedy bird +simply took a fresh hold of his prize, flew to a tree, and gobbled it +down with difficulty himself. Not so my generous captive. The next day +he complied with her request again, and after that it was he who did the +tender coaxing, begging her to accept the slight offering of his love. +Soon, too, she grew coquettish in manner, often turned a cold shoulder +to him, opened her mouth at him, and scolded in the sweetest and softest +voice; and one night, after they had settled on their perch, I heard +gentle talk, and saw a little peck or two on her part. He did the +talking, and she delivered the playful peck or push as reply. Now, too, +in his desire to manifest his affection, he could not always wait for +worms, but picked dainty bits from the food-dish, and tendered them in +the same pretty way. She always accepted, though often she went at once +to the food-dish and ate for herself; for with all this sentiment and +love-making her appetite did not fail. Once she was outside and he +inside the cage, when he began to call and offer her something out of +his mouth. She did not wish to go in, so she flew to a perch that ran +through the cage, and stood close to the wires, while he went to the +same perch inside, and fed her through the wires. + +About this time, too, the bluebird talk nearly ceased, and instead of it +the lovely song of three notes was heard all day, and a little change +they made in it--throwing in a "grace note" between the second and +third--greatly added to its charm. Now, too, spring had really come, and +I waited only for warm days to let them go and set up their homestead in +freedom. The first mild day in May the window was opened for them. The +female flew first to a tree in front of the house, where she was greeted +in the rudest manner by the bird-tramps which infest our streets,--the +house-sparrows. They began to assemble around her, no doubt prepared for +attack, when she gave a loud cry of distress, and out flew her valiant +knight to her aid. After a moment's pause by her side, they both flew, +and we saw the gentle pair no more. + +This true chronicle began with a quotation from Lanier; it shall end +with one from Harriet Prescott Spofford:-- + + "A bit of heaven itself, he flew, + When earth seemed heaven with bees and bloom, + South wind, and sunshine, and perfume; + And morning were not morn without him. + Winging, springing, always flinging, + Flinging music all about him." + + + + +THE GOLDEN-WING. + + The high-hole flashing his golden wings. + + WALT WHITMAN. + + + + +VI. + +THE GOLDEN-WING. + + +One of the special objects of my search during a certain June among the +hills of northern New York was a nest of the golden-winged woodpecker; +not that it is rare or hard to find, but because I had never seen one +and had read attractive stories of the bird's domestic relations, the +large number of young in the nest, and his devotion and pride. Moreover, +I had become greatly interested in the whole family, through my +attachment to an individual member of it in my own house. + +I soon discovered that the orchard at the back of the house was visited +every day by a pair of the birds I was seeking. One was seen running up +and down a trunk of a large poplar-tree, and the next morning two +alighted on a dead branch at the top of an apple-tree, perching like +other birds on twigs, which seemed too light to bear their weight. But +they were apparently satisfied with them; for they stayed some time, +pluming themselves and evidently looking with interest and astonishment +at human intruders into what had no doubt been a favorite haunt of their +own. I watched them for several minutes, till a sudden noise startled +the shy creatures and they were off in an instant. + +After that I saw them often at the bottom of the orchard. They always +flew over the place with rather a heavy business-like flight, alighted +on a low branch of the farthest apple-tree, and in a moment dropped to +the ground where the long grass hid them. There they remained five +minutes or more before returning to the tree. Unfortunately it was a +little farther than I could readily see with my glass, and the most +cautious approach alarmed them. I heard them call nearly every day in +loud, strong voice, "Pe-auk! pe-auk!" + +Being thus baffled in my plan of following them home, I resolved upon a +regular search in the small piece of woods where they always +disappeared, and every morning I spent two or three hours in that lovely +spot looking for any birds, but especially for the Golden-wing. In all +my search, however, I found but one nest, which may have been his, where +apparently a tragedy had occurred; for from the edge of the opening the +bark was torn off down the trunk, and in two or three places holes were +picked as though to reach the nest which had been within. + +Whatever the drama enacted in that mysterious home, I was too late to +see, and I have not been able as yet to make close acquaintance with the +free Golden-wing. + +The bird that had so interested me in his whole family I found in a bird +store in New York in the month of November. He was a most +disconsolate-looking object, and so painfully wild I could scarcely bear +to look at him--poor, shy, frightened soul, set up in a cage to be +stared at. I rescued him at once with the intention of giving him a more +retired home, and freedom the moment spring opened. The change did not +at first reassure him, and he was so frantic that his cage was covered +to shut out the sights till he was accustomed to the sounds of a +household. Gradually, an inch or two at a time, the cover that hid the +world from him was reduced, till at the end of three weeks he could +endure the removal of the last corner without going absolutely mad. + +On the first day an opening a few inches wide was left in his screen, so +that he might look out if he chose, and I took my seat as far as +possible from him, with my back to him, and a hand-glass so arranged +that I could see him. As soon as the room was quiet he went to the +opening and cautiously thrust his long bill and his head as far as the +eye beyond the edge so that he could see me. I kept perfectly still, +while he watched me several minutes with evident interest, and I was +glad to see that it was simply fright and not idiocy that caused his +panics. + +Many emotions of the bird were most comically expressed by hammering. In +embarrassment or alarm, when not so great as to drive him wild, he +resorted to that diversion, and the more disturbed, the louder and +faster his blows. If in utter despair, as when I set his house in order +for the day, he dropped to the floor on the farthest side, put his head +in the corner, and pounded the tray with great violence. Every wire in +the cage in turn he tested with taps of his beak, thus amusing himself +hours at a time, sitting, as was his custom, crouched upon the perch or +on the floor. In this way, too, he tried the quality of the plastered +wall behind his cage, and was evidently pleased to find it yielding, for +he bored many holes and tore off much paper, before he was discovered +and provided with a background of wood to exercise upon. + +The unhappy bird had a serious time learning to eat mocking-bird food +with his long, curved beak; he never became very expert at it, but was +as awkward as a child learning to feed itself. He first thrust it like a +dagger its whole length into his dish, took out a mouthful, then turned +his head sidewise, shook it and snapped his bill one side and the other, +making a noise as if choking. When this performance was over, he scraped +his beak against the wires and picked off the fragments daintily with +the tip. When he had eaten he left a straight, smooth hole in the food, +like a stab, two inches deep and perhaps half an inch in diameter. In +drinking he made the same movements, filling his mouth, throwing back +his head, and swallowing with great efforts. + +All of the Golden-wing's attitudes were peculiar; as, for instance, he +never liked to face one, but always turned his back upon spectators and +looked at them over his shoulder. In sleeping he changed his position +often, and was as restless as a nervous old man. Sometimes he slept on +the perch, puffed out into a ball like other birds, head buried in his +feathers, tail broad-spread and curled under the perch, as though it +needed something to rest against. If he began his night's rest (or +unrest) in this position, in a few hours he would drop heavily to the +floor, scramble about a little, and then climb to one of the supports +that kept the wires in place, ten inches from the bottom of the cage. +There he settled himself comfortably, head buried again, tail pressed +against the wires, and looking more like a spot on the wall than a bird. + +He often took naps in the daytime on the floor with his head in the +corner, like a bad boy in punishment, his head drawn down into his +shoulders and his bill thrust up into the air at an angle of forty-five +degrees. If this tired him, he simply turned his bill down at about the +same angle, and tried it that way awhile. + +He was an exceedingly early bird, always settled to sleep long before +any other in the room, and he slept very soundly, being not easily +wakened and breathing in long, steady respirations like a person in +sleep. Indeed he startled me very much the first time I noticed him. The +breathing was regular and strong, equal in duration to my own as I +listened, and I was sure some one was in the room. I hastened to light +the gas to look for the burglar, and it was not until I had made +thorough search that I discovered who was the guilty one. He dreamed +also, if one may judge by the sounds that came from his cage at night, +complaining, whining, almost barking like the "yaps" of a young puppy, +and many sorts of indescribable noises. + +The Golden-wing was extremely fond of hanging against the side of his +cage on the support spoken of above. Not only did he sleep in that +position, but dress his plumage, turning his head back over his body and +sides, and even arranging the feathers of his breast, each one by +itself, with scrupulous care. Like many others this bird objected to +having his cage used as a perch by his neighbors. He expressed his +sentiments by quick jerks, first of the shoulders and then of the whole +body, and if the intruder did not take the hint, he opened his enormous +bill and took hold of a stray toe, which usually drove away the most +impertinent. + +The door of the cage was opened to my captive as soon as he became quiet +and happy within it. After his first surprise and dismay at finding +himself in the big world again, he enjoyed it very much. Being unable to +fly through the loss of some wing feathers, his cage was placed on the +floor, and he ran in and out at pleasure. He was more than usually +intelligent about it, too; for although the door was small, and he had +to lower his head to pass through, he was never at a loss for an +instant. + +One thing that shows a bird's characteristics and that I have never seen +any two do in exactly the same way, is to explore a room when first +released from a cage. This bird, like his predecessors, had his own +peculiar notion, which was to go behind everything. He squeezed himself +between a trunk, or a heavy piece of furniture, and the wall, where it +did not seem possible that one of his size could pass, and showed so +great an inclination to go through a hole in the open-work fire-board +that I hastily covered it up. After a while he tested the matting and +carefully investigated, by light taps of his bill, each separate nail. +His step was heavy, and he did not hop, but ran around with a droll +little patter of the feet, like a child's footsteps. + +Having exhausted the novelty of the floor, he turned his eyes upward, +perhaps noticing that the other birds were higher in the room, where +they had taken refuge when he made his sudden and somewhat alarming +appearance among them. He did not try to fly, but he was not without +resources; he could jump, and no one could outdo him in climbing, or in +holding on. After a moment's apparent consideration of the means at his +command, he ran to the corner and mounted a trunk by springing up +halfway, holding on a moment in some mysterious manner, and then by a +second jump landing on top. From that point it was easy to reach the +bird's table, and there was a ladder placed for the benefit of another +that could not fly. This ladder he at once pounced upon, and used as if +he had practiced on one all his life. + +I shut the cage-door at the upper end to keep him out of his neighbor's +house, while the owner, an American wood-thrush, stood upon the roof, +looking ruefully at this appropriation of his private property. Upon +reaching the closed door the traveler jumped across to another cage +nearly a foot away. This was a small affair occupied by an English +goldfinch, who was then at home and not pleased by the call, as he at +once made known. Golden-wing, however, perhaps with the idea of +returning past insults from the saucy little finch, jerked himself all +around the cage, inserting his long bill as though trying to reach +something inside. + +Having wearied of annoying the enemy, he sprang back to the ladder, +descended by the table and trunk to the floor as he had gone up, without +a moment's hesitation as to the way, which proved him to possess unusual +intelligence. He did not take the trouble to climb down, but put his two +feet together and jumped heavily like a child, a very odd movement for a +bird. It was his constant habit in the cage to jump from the perch to +the floor, and from one that was two inches above the tray he often +stepped down backwards, which I never before saw a bird do. + +When after three hours of exploration he returned to his home, the door +was closed and the cage hung up. He was satisfied with his first outing, +and refreshed himself with a nap at once. But the first thing the next +morning he came down to his door and pecked the wires, looking over at +me most intelligently, plainly asking to have it opened. He never +mistook the position of the door, and if knocking had not the desired +effect, he took hold of a wire and shook and rattled it till he was +attended to. + +It was interesting to see how familiar he suddenly became, when no +effort had been made to induce him to be so. I never had so much trouble +to win the confidence of a bird, but when won, the surrender was +complete. He came up to me freely and allowed me to catch him in my hand +without resistance, which is very uncommon. (Perhaps I ought to say that +I do not try to tame my birds.) He displayed a child-like, confiding +disposition, both in his unreasoning terror at first, and his +unquestioning faith at last. + +These investigations were conducted without a sound, for the bird was +entirely silent while awake. But there came a day when he made a curious +exhibition of his ability. It was the ninth of February, and the +goldfinch was calling, as he often did. The woodpecker sat on his perch +with wings held tightly against his sides, "humped" up as though he were +high-shouldered. The plumage of his breast was puffed out so broadly +that it came over the wings, and in a front view completely hid them, +while the feathers of his shoulders were erected till he resembled a +lady with a fur shoulder cape. Withal, his head was drawn down to his +body, and his beak pointed upward at an angle of forty-five degrees. In +this peculiar and absurd position he began a strange little song, +ludicrously weak and low for a bird of his size. The tones were +delivered in a sharp staccato style, like "picking" the strings of a +violin very softly, several notes uttered with queer sidewise jerks of +the head, and eyes apparently fixed on the goldfinch. After a phrase or +two he scraped his bill violently and then began again. + +This performance he varied by bowing his head many times, swaying his +whole body from side to side, flirting his tail and shaking his wings. +It was an extraordinary display, but whether his manner of making +himself agreeable, or of expressing contempt, I could only guess. The +goldfinch looked on with interest, though I think he understood it no +better than I did; he seemed surprised, but rather pleased, for he +repeated his calls, and the Golden-wing kept up the strange exhibition +for some time. + +I became greatly attached to my beautiful bird, which appeared, in the +presence of his wise and wary room-mates, cat-birds and thrushes, like a +big, clumsy, but affectionate baby. It was solely on his account and +principally, I must confess, to try and surprise a wild bird at the +above described entertainment so as to determine its character, that I +wished to make acquaintance with its free relations, study their ways +when at liberty in their own haunts, and have a glimpse if possible of +the Golden-wing babies. + +A year later I had the opportunity I so much desired of making +acquaintance with the young of this family. I was sitting one morning on +the edge of a deep ravine filled with trees, deeply engaged in the study +of another bird, when suddenly a stranger came with an awkward flop +against the trunk of a tree not ten feet from me. I saw in an instant +that it was the infant I had looked for so long. He was exactly like the +parents, with a somewhat shorter tail. I should hardly have suspected +his youthfulness but for his clumsy movements, and the fact that he did +not at once take flight, which a Golden-wing more experienced in the +ways of human-kind would have done instantly. He seemed somewhat +exhausted by his flight, and clung to the trunk, with soft dark eyes +fixed upon me, ready to move if I did. + +I did not; I sat motionless for half an hour and watched him. When +somewhat rested he dodged around the other side of the trunk, and peeped +at me through a fork in the branches. Then he scrambled upon a small +branch, where he perched crosswise. But he had trouble to keep his +balance in that position, so he climbed about till he found a limb fully +two inches in diameter, on which he could rest in the favorite flicker +attitude--lengthwise. Then with his head outward to the world at large, +and his tail turned indifferently toward me,--whom he doubtless regarded +as a permanent and lifeless feature of the landscape,--he settled +himself, crouched flat against the bark, for a comfortable nap. + +All this time I had been conscious of low Golden-wing talk about me; the +familiar "wick-up! wick-up!" almost in a whisper, a softened "pe-auk!" +from the ravine, and the more distant "laugh," so called. The infant on +the tree heard too. He moved his head, listened and looked, but whether +or not they were words of caution and advice from the wiser ones of his +race, he refused to be frightened and did not move till I rose to leave +him, when, greatly startled, he took flight across the ravine. + + + + +A STORMY WOOING. + + Not an inch of his body is free from delight, + Can he keep himself still if he would? Oh, not he! + The music stirs in him like wind through a tree. + + WORDSWORTH. + + + + +VII. + +A STORMY WOOING. + + +If, as Ruskin says, "the bird is little more than a drift of the air, +brought into form by plumes," the particular bit shaped into the form we +call the orchard oriole must be a breath from a Western tornado, for a +more hot-headed, blustering individual would be hard to find; and when +this embodied hurricane, this "drift" of an all-destroying tempest, goes +a-wooing, strange indeed are the ways he takes to win his mate, and +stranger still the fact that he does win her in spite of his violence. + +In a certain neighborhood, where I spent some time in the nesting +season, studying a bird of vastly different character, orchard orioles +were numerous, and in their usual fashion made their presence known by +persistent singing around the house. For it must be admitted, whatever +their defects of temper or manners, that they are most cheerful in song, +the female no less than the male. First of the early morning bird chorus +comes their song, loud, rich, and oft-repeated, though marred in the +case of the male by the constant interpolation of harsh, scolding notes. +Anywhere, everywhere, all day, in pouring rain, in high wind that +silences nearly every bird voice, the orioles sing. One could not +overlook them if he wished, so noisy, so restless, and so musical. Nor +do they care to be unseen; they make no attempt at concealment. No +oriole ever steals into a neighborhood in the quiet way of the cat-bird, +silently taking an observation of its inhabitants before making himself +obvious; on the contrary, all his deeds are before the public, even his +family quarrels. He comes to a tree with a bustle, talking, scolding, +making himself and his affairs the most conspicuous things in the +neighborhood. + +Many times he is most annoying. When following some shy bird to its +nest, or moving down toward the grove where are the brooklet and the +birds' bathing-place, no matter how quietly one may approach, footsteps +deadened by thick sand and no rustling garments to betray, the orchard +oriole is sure to know it. He is not the only bird to see a stranger, of +course; the brown thrush is as quick as he, but he silently drops to the +ground, if not already there, and disappears without a sound; the +cardinal grosbeak slips down from his perch on the farther side and +takes wing near the ground; the cat-bird, in the center of a thick +shrub, noiseless as a shadow, flutters across the path and is gone; +others do the same. The orchard oriole alone shouts the news to all whom +it may concern in his loudest "chack! chack!" putting every one on his +guard at once, and making the copse in a moment as empty as though no +wing ever stirred its leaves. + +On first noticing the ways of the birds about me on the occasion +mentioned, I saw that there was some sort of a disturbance among them; +scarcely ten minutes passed without a commotion, followed by a chase +through the branches of a tree, one bird pursuing another so hotly that +twigs bent and leaves parted as they passed, the one in advance often +uttering a complaining cry, and the pursuer, a loud, harsh scold. +Something exciting was evidently going on; some tragedy or possibly +comedy, in this extremely sensational family. I was at once interested +to see what it might be and how it would end; and in fact, before I knew +it, I was as much absorbed in oriole matters as though no other +feathered life was to be seen. + +There were in the party two males, one in his second year, and therefore +immature in coloring, being olive-yellow on the breast, brown on wings +and tail, with a black mask over eyes and chin; the other was older, and +a model of oriole beauty, being bright chestnut on the lower parts, +with velvety black hood coming down on the breast. With them was one +female, and though far from being friends, the three were never +separated. The trouble seemed to be that both males were suitors, and +notwithstanding the pretty little maid appeared to have a mind of her +own and to prefer the younger of her wooers, the older plainly refused +"to take no for an answer," and was determined to have his own way, +bringing to bear on his courtship all the persistence of his race. In +that particular quality of never giving up what he has set his heart on, +the oriole cannot be excelled, if indeed he can be equaled in the bird +world; for a time, and a long time, too, he is a bird of one idea, and +by fair means or foul he will almost certainly accomplish his desire, +whatever it may be. + +Life never grew dull in the party mentioned; they were always talking, +singing, or going for each other in the mad way already described. +Sometimes the chase was between the males, but oftener the female flew +for her life apparently, while the rough wooer followed closely with +great noise and confusion. The affair ended occasionally with a cry of +distress as though somebody was pecked, but several times she stood at +bay and defied him with mouth open, feathers bristled up, wings +fluttering, and every way quite ready to defend herself. Like other +blusterers, on the first show of fight he calmed down, and the matter +ended for the time. Peace lasted from ten to twenty minutes, during +which they hopped about the tree, or hung head-downward on the Spanish +moss, talking in low tones, though the male never omitted delivering a +scolding note with every two or three pleasant ones. Her voice was +charming, in a tender call, a gentle chatter, or a sweet song, unspoiled +by the harsh tones of her partner. She was also a very pretty bird, +bright yellow below, olive-yellow on the back, no black about the face, +and legs and feet blue as the sky, and she was as graceful as she was +beautiful. + +Repose of manner was unknown to the orchard orioles. One was scarcely +ever seen sitting or standing still. The song was given while moving, +either flying or hopping about on the tree. If one did pause while it +was uttered, the body jerked, and the head turned this way and that, as +though he really was too restless to be perfectly quiet for a moment. + +The most tempestuous times were when the younger suitor put himself +forward and persuaded the fair yellow damsel to show him some slight +preference. The venerable lover was not slow to resent this, and to +fall like a hurricane upon the pretender, who disappeared like a dead +leaf before the blast, and so quickly that he could not be followed--at +least by anything less rapid than wings. Once, however, I saw a curious +affair between the two suitors which was plainly a war-dance. It +followed closely upon one of the usual flurries, conducted with perhaps +louder cries and more vehemence than common, and began by both birds +alighting on the grass about a foot apart, and so absorbed in each other +as to be utterly oblivious of a spectator within ten feet of them on the +balcony. No tiger out of the jungle could hold more rage and fury than +animated those feathered atoms, bristled up even to the heads, which +looked as if covered with velvet caps. They paused an instant, then +crouched, jerked their tails, "teetered" and posed in several attitudes, +ending each new movement with a solemn bow, perhaps equivalent to a +handshake among larger fighters. What one did the other exactly copied, +and both seemed to be trying to get one side of the opponent, so as to +secure some advantage. To prevent this, each kept his face to the foe, +and moved as he moved. Thus they passed down one side, then back, down +the other and return, neither able to get the slightest superiority of +position. It was extremely grotesque, and was continued several +minutes, while I eagerly watched to see what would happen next. What did +happen was entirely unexpected, a unique anti-climax, quite worthy of +the undignified character of the bird. On a sudden, as by one consent, +both flew opposite ways; both alighted in low trees about thirty feet +apart, and each one sang a loud joyous song, as of victory! + +In this turbulent way life went on for two or three weeks; I could not +tell how long, for it was in full progress when I came. There was always +a vulgar broil, often a furious encounter, stopping just short of coming +to blows, and it seemed really doubtful if the orioles would succeed in +settling their matrimonial affairs before summer. The third member of +the belligerent party, the demure little object of all this agitation, +was meekness and gentleness itself, never aggressive, but always flying +before the furious onslaught of her would-be spouse. Why then did she +not select her mate and thus end the trouble, which, according to the +books, it must do? + +Turning away from the more conspicuous males with their endless +contests, and watching her closely, I saw that she was trying her best +to do so. She plainly preferred the younger and less quarrelsome suitor, +and often followed him off, bringing down upon herself in consequence +the wrath of the elder, and instant pursuit, which ended in the +disappearance of her chosen hero, and a forced endurance of the tyrant's +presence, till it appeared that she would have to "marry him to get rid +of him," as our plain-spoken grandmothers characterized a similar +situation in human affairs. + +When these birds could spare time from their own absorbing matters, they +were very inquisitive in the affairs of their neighbors. After the +mocking-bird babies were out, the orioles often visited them, while the +parents were absent, for no reason that I could discover but to see what +they were like, and how they got on, for nothing about them was +disturbed. If, however, an oriole was found by one of the old +mocking-birds perched on the edge of the nest, he was driven away with a +piece of mocking-bird mind on the subject of meddlers. Likewise they +frequently paid visits to a nuthatch colony at the top of a tall +pine-tree. Whether more aggressive among these smaller birds, or not, +could not be seen. But the facts were that upon an oriole's disappearing +through those heavy pine branches, away above our heads, there instantly +arose a great outcry in the querulous nuthatch voice, and the intruder +returned to the lower world with some precipitation, while gentle, +complaining sounds came from the invaded territory for some time. So, +too, in different degree the birds showed interest in me, peering down +between the leaves of the tree in which they spent most of their time, +and making remarks or expressing opinions, climbing--which they +literally did--to the end of a twig, stretching up tall to look over the +top and stare at me, or when flying slowly past, hovering a moment just +in front of me with perfect fearlessness and earnest attention to my +pursuits. + +At length the crisis in the oriole matters came, as come it must, and +not long after the war-dance that has been described. The season was +advanced and nesting time already begun. In fact, it was ended in +several families; mocking-birds were about ready to fly, young chipping +sparrows peeped from every tuft of grass, baby bluebirds were trying +their wings at their doors, the yellow-throated warbler was stuffing her +youngsters on the next tree, and the late kingbirds had nearly finished +their nests. Whether a pitched battle at last settled the dispute, +whether the modest little dame united with her chosen mate against the +common enemy, or whether perchance--though this is not likely--the elder +bird tired of his useless warfare, will never be known, for the whole +matter was settled before we mortals were out of bed, in the magic +morning hours when so many interesting things go on in bird and beast +life. When I came out, I saw at once that a decision had been reached. +The younger bird had won his bride, and with much talk and love-making +the happy pair were busying themselves about a building spot. This first +day of their honeymoon was not, however, very peaceful; old troubles are +not so soon forgotten, and the discarded suitor found it hard to believe +that the repulse was final and he really should not have his own way. He +frequently made his appearance in the old scenes, making himself +agreeable in the usual way; but the newly wedded were now a pair, and +when both flung themselves upon him he recognized at last the +inevitable, no longer resented it, and left them in peace. + +With much talk and discussion the tree that had been the scene of the +stormy wooing was selected for the homestead, and the young wife at once +set to work upon the foundation, while her spouse in his new role of +lord and master stood on a higher twig and gave his opinions; much +advice, no doubt, and plenty of instruction. I doubt his mastery, +however, for I noticed that, though meek, madam had a mind of her own +and an orchard oriole's persistence in carrying out her plans. He +talked, it is true, blustered and strutted around, but she worked +quietly, steadily, and in a business-like way, utterly oblivious of him. + +During this day, too, even this first day, not five hours after he had +tried to coax the bride away, the elderly suitor came back from some +unknown quarter, with a brand-new wife of his own; precipitation worthy +of the vulgar house-sparrow of our city streets, which these birds also +resemble in their constant broils. That naturally put a complete end to +further dispute over sweethearts; but they could not change their +nature, and I observed that each young husband had a vast amount of +fault to find, much scolding and grumbling. Happily it did not seem to +disconcert the little wives; they sang as sweetly, and worked as +steadily as though they were used to it, and expected nothing better, +which was well for them. + +The elder oriole and his mate soon settled in another place, and I saw +them no more, but I was sorry to see upon what tree the young pair +decided to build, for a kingbird had an unfinished nest in one of the +lower branches, and two families so aggressive would make a lively +neighborhood no doubt. Hostilities began indeed on the first day. +Watching the oriole at her building, I caught the pretty +innocent-looking creature stealing material from the kingbird's nest, +while her virtuous spouse perched himself on the upper branch of the +tree, exactly as if on the watch for returning owners. In a low tone he +talked to her as she entered the uncompleted nest, worked busily a +moment, then appeared on the edge with a soft white feather, gathered it +into a convenient shape, and flew with it in her beak to the upper +branch. Twice afterward I saw that performance repeated, and each time +it was a white feather taken. On one occasion the kingbird was at home. +There was a sharp cry of distress, a bustle, and in a moment Madam +Oriole flew off with a feather, while the outraged owner stood on a +neighboring branch and uttered two or three plaintive cries. Considering +the size and the belligerent nature of the kingbird, I was astonished, +but exactly thus it happened. + +I greatly wished to stay and see the result, for I had confidence enough +in the bravery of the kingbirds to be sure that the end was not yet. +Also, I longed to watch the restless pair whose ups and downs I had +found so interesting. I should like to see the orchard oriole in the +role of a father; a terribly fussy one he would be without doubt. Above +all, I most desired to see the infant orioles, to know if they begin +their quarrels in their narrow cradle, and if their first note is a +scold. But the troubles of this courtship had, like the wars of Augustus +and Arabella in a three-volume novel, consumed so much time that there +was none left for post-nuptial chronicles, and I was obliged to leave +them with a neighborhood quarrel on hand which promised full employment +for the head of the family while his little mate was sitting. + + + + +FLUTTERBUDGET. + + O hark to the brown thrush! hear how he sings! + Now he pours the dear pain of his gladness! + What a gush! and from out what golden springs! + What a rage of how sweet madness! + + D. A. WASSON. + + + + +VIII. + +FLUTTERBUDGET. + + +"Flutterbudget" is the one expressive word that exactly characterizes a +certain brown thrush, or thrasher, the subject of a year's study. This +bird is perhaps the only restless creature that bears the name of +thrush, and he is totally unlike the rest of his family, having neither +dignity, composure, nor repose of manner. My brown thrush, however, was +exceedingly interesting in his own way, if only as a study of perpetual +motion, of the varieties of shape and attitude possible to him, and the +fantastic tricks upon wing of which he was capable. One never tired of +watching him, for he was erratic in every movement, always inventing +some new sort of evolution, or a fresh way of doing the old things, and +scarcely a moment at rest. A favorite exercise was flying across the +room, planting his feet flatly against the side wall, turning instantly +and flying back. This he often did a dozen times in succession. His +feet were always "used to save his head" (contrary to our grandmothers' +teachings). When he made the usual attempt to fly through the window on +his first outing in the room, he went feet first against it, and thus +saved himself a bumped head. His movements were abrupt in the extreme, +and always so unexpected that he frequently threw the whole feathered +family into a panic, apparently without the least intention of doing so. +Standing beside the cage of another bird, he would wheel quickly and +face the other way, absolutely nothing more, but doing this in a manner +so startling that the occupant of the cage scolded roundly. He specially +delighted in clambering all over the cage of a goldfinch, acting as if +he should tear it in pieces, and greatly annoying the small bird. He +often flew up the side of the window casing, as though climbing it like +a ladder, his feet touching it now and then; and he did the same on the +curtains of coarse net. Again he flew across the room before the three +windows, turning to each one in turn, planted his feet squarely on the +linen shade, as on the wall above mentioned, and without a pause passed +to the end of the room, and touched it with his feet in the same strange +way. Often when standing for the moment perfectly still before a window, +he suddenly flew up, put both feet in this unbirdlike way against the +window-shade, turned and went to his cage. In like manner he came in +contact with a cage, the books on the shelves, the back of a chair, or +any piece of furniture, taking from that point a new direction. When +startled he instantly bounded into the air as though the ground were hot +under his feet, and often turned a corner or two before he came down. In +the middle of his most lovely song he was quite likely, without the +least warning, to make a mad dash somewhere, turn a sharp corner, dive +in another direction, and alight on the spot he had left a moment +before, and all in so spasmodic a way that every bird was +panic-stricken. + +The thrasher was exceedingly wary, and nothing was droller than his +manner of approaching anything, whether a worm I had thrown on the +matting for him, or the bathing-dish. In the case of the worm, the +moment he saw his prey--which I selected for its liveliness--he came to +a nearer perch, and stood there a few minutes, posturing, shaking his +plumage in great excitement, looking at me and then at the tempting +object. Very soon he dropped to the floor and started towards the worm +in the funniest way; running a few steps, stopping short and turning +half round, ready for instant flight, flirting his feathers with a +great rustle, turning an anxious eye on me, then on the wriggling +attraction, running a step or two, and repeating the performance. In +this way he advanced very gradually till near enough to half encircle +his prey; or to run and hop sideways as though to describe a circle, +turning away at each pause as before, all the time jerking and +fluttering in intense agitation, and always keeping an eye on me. Not +that he was in the least afraid of me; it was simply his sensational way +of doing everything. When he finally came within reach of the worm, he +snatched it, and ran as though the enemy were upon him. + +His performances before entering the bath were even more amusing. The +bathing-dish, a broad, deep plate, stood upon a towel on a table. The +bird alighted on the table, and began first to peck the towel, pulling +the fringe, working at any loose thread he discovered, and industriously +enlarging any small hole he chanced to find. In doing thus he often +turned over the edge, when he sprang back as though he had seen a ghost. +Recovering from the shock, he circled around the dish with little hops, +occasionally giving a gentle peck at the edge of the dish, or a snip at +the water with his beak. Thus he waltzed around the bath perhaps forty +times, now and then going so far as to jump up on the edge, make a dash +at the water, and back off as if it were hot, or to give a hop into the +middle of the water and out again so quickly that one could hardly +believe he touched it. When, after all this ceremony, he did go in to +stay, he made most thorough work, splashing in a frantic way, as though +he had but a moment to stay, and in one minute getting more soaked than +many birds ever do. After this short dip he dashed out, flew to a perch, +and in the maddest way jerked and shook himself dry; pulling his +feathers through his beak with a snap, and making a peculiar sound which +I can liken only to the rubbing of machinery that needs oil. + +The brown thrush was never so violent and eccentric in movement as just +after his bath. Allowing himself often but a moment's hasty shake of +plumage, he darted furiously across the room, startling every bird, and +alighting no one could guess where. Then, after more jerks and rapid +shakings, he flung himself as unexpectedly in another direction, while +at every fresh turn birds scattered wildly, everywhere, anywhere, out of +his way, bringing up in the most unaccustomed places; as, for instance, +a dignified bird, who never went to the floor, coming to rest under the +bed, or a ground-lover flattened against the side of a cage. All this +disturbance seemed to please the thrasher, for he had a spice of +mischief in his composition. A never failing diversion was teasing a +goldfinch. He began his pranks by entering the cage and hammering on the +tray, or digging into the seed in a savage way that sent it flying out +in a shower, which result so entertained him that I was forced to close +the door when the owner was out. This the thrush resented, and he next +took to jumping against the side of the cage, clinging a moment, then +bouncing off with so much force that the cage rocked violently. Then he +placed himself on the perch by the door, and pounded, and pulled, and +jerked, and shook the door, till, if the owner were home, he was nearly +wild. Having exhausted that amusement, he jumped on the top and in some +way jarred the cage roughly. To protect it I made a cover of paper, but, +contrary to my intentions, this afforded the rogue a new pleasure, for +he soon found that by tramping over it he could make a great noise, and +he quickly learned the trick of tearing the paper into pieces, and +uncovering the little fellow, who, by the way, was not in the least +afraid, but simply enraged and insulted, and when outside stood and +faced his tormentor, blustering and scolding him well. + +Tearing paper was always amusing to the brown thrush. I have seen him +take his stand near the wall, peck at the paper till he found a weak +spot where it would yield and break, then take the torn edge in his bill +and deliberately tear it a little. It was "snatching a fearful joy," +however, for the noise always startled him. First came a little tear, +then a leap one side, another small rent, another panic; and so he went +on till he had torn off a large piece which dropped to the floor, while +I sat too much interested in the performance to think of saving the +paper. (The room and its contents are always secondary to the birds' +comfort and pleasure, in my thoughts.) A newspaper on the floor +furnished him amusement for hours, picking it to pieces, tearing +pictures, from which he always first pecked the faces, dragging the +whole about the floor to hear it rattle and to scare himself with. A +pile of magazines on a table made a regular playground for him, his plan +being to push and pull at the back of one till he got it loose from the +rest, and then work at it till it fell to the floor. He never failed to +reduce the pile to a disreputable-looking muss. + +The bird was as fond of hammering as any woodpecker, on the bottom of +his cage, on perches, on the floor, even on his food; and his leaps or +bounds without the apparent help of his wings were extraordinary. Not +infrequently I have seen him spring into the air just high enough to +see me over my desk,--three feet at least,--probably to satisfy himself +as to my whereabouts, and drop instantly back to his work or play. + +This amusing bird was also intelligent. He understood perfectly well +what I wanted when I spoke to him; that is, he had a guilty conscience +when in mischief that translated my tone to him. Also he recognized +instantly a bird out of place, as, for instance, one on the floor which +usually frequented the perches and higher parts of the room; and having +taken upon himself the office of regulator, he always went after the +bird thus out of his accustomed beat. When I talked to the thrasher, he +answered me not only with a rough-breathing sound, a sort of prolonged +"ha-a-a," but with his wings as well. Of course this is not uncommon in +birds, but none that I have seen use these members so significantly as +he did. His way was to lift the wing nearest me, sometimes very +slightly, sometimes to a perpendicular position, but only one wing, and +only after I made a remark. This exhibition was curious and interesting, +and I often prolonged my talk to see the variety he could give to this +simple motion. His wings were always expressive, in alighting in a new +place, or where he suspected there might be danger or a surprise; the +moment his feet touched he lifted one or both wings quite high, dropping +them at once. + +A more lithe body than that of the brown thrush I have never seen in +feathers; he could assume as many attitudes as he had emotions. He often +stood on a perch and postured for a long time, as if greatly excited and +meditating some mad deed, and I must confess he usually carried out the +intention. Not only was he able to put his body into all possible +shapes, but he had extraordinary command of his feathers. He could erect +them on any one part alone, on the top of the head, the shoulders, the +back, or the chin. He often raised the feathers just above the tail, +letting that member hang straight down, giving him the appearance of +being chopped square off. + +The song of this bird is well known and quite celebrated; indeed, in the +Southern States he is called the French mocking-bird, as only second to +the mocking-bird proper. My bird never sang above a whisper, one may +say; that is, he never opened his mouth to let out the sound, though he +was extremely fond of singing, indulging in it by the hour. He hardly +paused for eating, or flying, or hopping around on the floor, but +dropped sweet notes in between the mouthfuls, and kept up the warble +through all movements. + +As dusk came on the brown thrush began a wonderful series of postures, +more peculiar and varied than one would suppose possible to so large and +apparently clumsy a bird. Sometimes he stretched up very tall, then +instantly crouched as if about to spring; one moment he turned his head +downward as though to dive off, then wheeled and faced the other way; +now he drew his body out long to a point, head and tail exactly on a +level, then head and tail thrust up, making his back the shape of a bow; +at one time he threw his head back as though about to turn a back +somersault, then scraped his bill, shook himself out, and made the harsh +breathing I have spoken off; in another moment he spread his tail like a +fan, and instantly closed it again; then turned his head on one side +very far, while his tail hung out the other side, and in this odd +position jerked himself along by short jumps the whole length of his +perch. Between the postures and on every occasion he scraped his bill +violently. Next began movements: first he ran down his three perches, +across the floor, and hopped to the upper one from the outside, touching +his feet to the wires as he went, so rapidly that my eyes could not +follow him; then he alighted on the perch with a graceful flop of one +wing, sometimes also bowing his head several times, and uttering the +breathing sound each time. Again he jumped from the upper perch to one +directly under it, and returned the same way by a very peculiar motion: +standing on the lower perch, he turned his head over his shoulder, and +sprang back and up at the same time, landing in exactly the same +position on the perch above, with perfect ease and grace. + +Nothing pleased the thrasher more than watching other birds; he observed +them closely, especially liking to stand on top of a cage and see the +life below,--an agitated life it was apt to be when he was there. Thus +he sometimes stood on the goldfinch's cage and noticed every motion with +great interest, yet with an indescribably ironical air, as if he said, +"My dear sir, is _that_ the way you eat?" He showed particular interest +in seed-eating birds, apparently not understanding how they could enjoy +such food. Though full of bluster and pretense, he was as gentle as any +bird in the room, never presumed on his size as the biggest, and, though +liking to tease and worry, never really touching one. The smallest only +needed to stand and face him to see that it was all bluster and fun. + +All this until spring began to stir his blood and tempt him +occasionally, after long posturing and many feints, to deliver a gentle +dig at a neighbor's ribs. Now, too, he began to show interest in +out-of-doors, standing on the window sash and looking out, which is a +familiar sign that a bird's time to depart has come. In his case I did +not consider it necessary to carry him to the park to liberate him, for +I was sure he could take care of the sparrows and protect himself--and +so it proved. When he found himself suddenly on a tall tree in the +street, and before he recovered from his surprise, those disreputable +birds gathered around him to see what he was like. They soon found out; +he quickly recovered himself, made a wild dash that scattered them like +leaves before the wind, and then planted himself on a branch to await +another attempt. But sparrows, though saucy, are knowing, and not one +came near him again. They had quite satisfied their curiosity, and after +a few moments' waiting the brown thrush went on his way rejoicing. + + + + +"O WONDROUS SINGERS." + + In the swamp in secluded recesses + A shy and hidden bird is warbling a song. + + * * * * * + + Sing on! sing on, you gray-brown bird! + Sing from the swamps, the recesses, pour + Your chant from the bushes; + + O liquid and free and tender! + O wild and loose to my soul! + O wondrous singer! + + WALT WHITMAN. + + + + +IX. + +"O WONDROUS SINGERS." + + +I feel considerable reluctance in approaching the subject of my small +thrushes. None but a poet should speak of them--so beautiful, so +enchanting in song. Yet I cannot bear to let their lovely lives pass in +silence; therefore if they must needs remain unsung, they shall at least +be chronicled. + +There were two: one the gray-cheeked thrush, the other the veery or +Wilson's, and they passed a year in my house, filling it with a +marvelous rippling music like the sweet babble of a brook over stones; +like the gentle sighing of the wind in pine-trees; like other of +nature's enchanting sounds, which I really must borrow a poet's words to +characterize: + + "O liquid and free and tender! + O wild and loose to my soul! + O wondrous singer." + +The gray-cheeked, most charming in every look and motion, uttered his +notes in a free sweep or crescendo, which began low, gathered force as +he went on, and then gradually died out; all in one long slur, without a +defined or staccato note, making a wonderful resemblance to wind sounds, +as Emerson expresses it: + + "His music was the Southwind's sigh." + +The song of the veery was quite different, low, rapid, interspersed with +a louder, wild-sounding cry, or, as aptly described by a listener, like +the gurgling sounds made by blowing through a tube into soft water, with +occasional little explosions. The soft, whispered warble of a brown +thrush added a certain under-tone which combined and harmonized both +these, forming with them a rhapsody of a rippling, bubbling character +impossible to describe, but constantly reminding one of running streams, +and gentle water-falls, and coming nearer to "put my woods in song" than +any other bird-notes whatever. Neither of the performers opened his +mouth, so that the trio was very low, a true whisper-song. + +It was somewhat curious that with one exception all the birds in the +room through these months sang whisper-songs also, without opening the +bill. There were six of them, and every one delighted in singing; the +three thrushes, a bluebird, a female orchard oriole, and a Mexican +clarin. To the thrushes, music seemed necessary to life; hour after +hour they stood on their respective perches across the room, puffed out +into balls, "pouring out their souls," and entrancing us not only with +their suggestive melody, but with graceful and poetical movements, and a +beauty of look and bearing that moved one deeply. During the aria both +birds stood motionless, one with wings drooping, and accenting every +note, the other with tail slightly jerking for the same purpose. + +In character no less than in song the birds differed; bright, active and +high-spirited, the gray-cheeked delighted in the freedom of the room, +feared nothing, came upon the desk freely, and calmly met one's eyes +with his own, brave free soul that he was, while his _vis-a-vis_ was +timid and shy, could not be induced to leave the shelter of his home +though the door stood open all day. He never resented the intrusion of a +neighbor, nor disputed the possession of his own dish. + +Almost as interesting as his song was a bewitching dance with which the +gray-cheeked charmed every one fortunate enough to see him. His chosen +hour was the approach of evening, when, with body very erect and head +thrown up in ecstasy, he lifted his wings high above his back, +fluttering them rapidly with a sound like soft patter of summer rain, +while he moved back and forth on his perch with the daintiest of little +steps and hops: now up, now down, now across the cage, with gentle noise +of feet and wings. No music accompanied it, and none was needed--it was +music itself. Not only did he dance away the long hours of twilight, +till so dark he could not be seen, but he greeted the dawn in the same +way; long before any other bird stirred, before the hideous morning call +of the first sparrow in the street, the soft flutter of his wings, the +light patter of his feet was heard. In the night also, if gas was +lighted, however dimly, dancing began and was continued in the darkness, +long after the light was out and every other feather at rest. A sudden +light stopped the motion, but revealed the dancer agitated, stirred, +with soft dark eyes fixed upon the observer. This dance was not an +attempt or indication of a desire to escape, as I am sure for several +reasons. I can tell the instant that longing for freedom sets in. It was +a fresh sign of the strange, mysterious emotion with which all thrushes +greet the rising and setting of the sun. + +The singular use of the feet by this bird was very peculiar, and not +confined to his dancing hours. While standing on the edge of the +bathing-dish, longing, yet dreading to enter the water, on alighting +upon an unaccustomed perch, or venturing on to the desk, many times a +day he took the little steps, lifting first one, then the other foot +very slightly, and bringing it down with a sound without changing his +position. It seemed to be an evidence of excitement, as another bird +might exhibit by a quivering of the wings. The veery was also a dancer, +but in a different way. He fanned his wings violently and moved back and +forth across the top of a cage, but always in daylight, and then only on +the rare occasions when, by placing his food outside, he was coaxed from +his cage. + +Bathing was--next to singing--the dear delight of the gray-cheeked's +life, yet no bird ever had more misgivings about taking the fatal +plunge. His first movement on leaving the cage was to go to the bath, +around which he hovered, now this side, now that, one moment on the +perch above, the next on the edge of the dish, plainly longing to be in, +yet the mere approach of the smallest bird in the room drove him away. +Not that he was afraid, he was not in the least a coward; he met +everybody and everything with the dignity and bravery of a true thrush. +Neither was it that he was disabled when wet, which makes some birds +hesitate; he was never at all disordered by his bath, and however long +he soaked, or thoroughly he spattered, his plumage remained in place and +he was perfectly able to fly at once. It appeared simply that he could +not make up his mind to go in. Then too, it soon became apparent that he +noticed his reflection in the water. He often stood on the edge after +bathing, as well as before, looking intently upon the image. Before the +glass he did the same, looking earnestly and in a low tone "uttering his +thoughts to the ideal bird which he fancied he saw before him." Indeed, +I think this ideal thrush was a great comfort to him. + +Once having decided to go into the bath he enjoyed it exceedingly, +though in an unusual way, fluttering and splashing vigorously for a +moment, then standing motionless up to his body in the water, not +shaking or pluming himself, not alarmed, but quietly enjoying the +soaking. After several fits of splashing alternated with soaking, he +went to a perch and shook and plumed himself nearly dry, and just when +one would think he had entirely finished, he returned to the dish, and +began again--hesitating on the brink, coquetting with the "ideal thrush" +in the water, and in fact doing the whole thing over again. + +My bird had a genuine thrush's love of quiet and dislike of a crowd, +preferred unfrequented places to alight on, and was quite ingenious in +finding them. The ornamental top of a gas-fixture a few inches below the +ceiling, which was cup-shaped and nearly hid him, was a favorite place. +So was also the loose edge of a hanging cardboard map which, having been +long rolled, hung out from the wall like a half-open scroll. This he +liked best, for no other bird ever approached it, and here he passed +much time swinging, as if he enjoyed the motion which he plainly made +efforts to keep up. His plan was to fly across the room and alight +suddenly upon it, when, of course it swayed up and down with his weight. +The moment it came to a rest, he flew around the room in a wide circle +and came down again heavily, holding on with all his might, and keeping +his balance with wings and tail. He enjoyed it so well that he often +swung for a long time. + +Later he found another snug retreat where no bird ever intruded. He +discovered it in this way: one day, on being suddenly startled by an +erratic dash around the room of the brown thrush, which scattered the +smaller birds like leaves before the wind, he brought up under the bed +on the floor. The larger bird had evidently marked the place of his +retreat, for he followed him, and in his mad way rushed under when the +gray-cheeked disappeared. The bedstead was a light iron one, high from +the floor, so that all this was plainly seen. No one being in sight, the +brown thrush came out and turned to his regular business of stirring up +the household while the little thrush was not to be seen, and perfect +silence seemed to indicate that he was not there at all. After some +search, aided by an indiscreet movement on his part, he was found +perched on the framework, between the mattress and the wall. This narrow +retreat, apparently discovered by accident, soon became a favorite +retiring place when he did not care for society. + +This interesting bird, with all his dignity, had a playful disposition. +Nothing pleased him better than rattling and tearing to bits a newspaper +or the paper strips over a row of books, although he had to stand on the +latter while he worked at it; and notwithstanding it not only rustled, +but disturbed his footing as well, he was never discouraged. A more +violent jerk than usual sometimes startled him so that he bounded six or +eight inches into the air in his surprise, but he instantly returned to +the play and never rested till he had picked holes, torn pieces out, and +reduced it to a complete wreck. + +All through the long winter this charming thrush, with his two +neighbors, delighted the house with his peculiar and matchless music, +and endeared himself by his gentle and lovely disposition. No harsh +sound was ever heard from him, there was no intrusion upon the rights of +others, and no vulgar quarrels disturbed his serene soul. But as spring +began to stir his blood he changed a little; he grew somewhat +belligerent, refused to let any one alight in his chosen places, and +even drove others away from his side of the room. Now, too, he added to +his already melting song an indescribable trill, something so spiritual, +so charged with the wildness of the woods, that no words--even of a +poet--can do it justice. Now, too, he began to turn longing glances out +of the window, and evidently his heart was no longer with us. So, on the +first perfect day in May he was taken to a secluded nook in a park and +his door set open. His first flight was to a low tree, twenty feet from +the silent spectator, who waited, anxious to see if his year's captivity +had unfitted him for freedom. + +Perching on the lowest branch, the thrush instantly crouched in an +attitude of surprise and readiness for anything, which was common with +him, his bill pointed up at an angle of forty-five degrees, head sunk in +the shoulders, and tail standing out stiffly, thus forming a perfectly +straight line from the point of his beak to the tip of his tail. There +he stood, perfectly motionless, apparently not moving so much as an +eyelid for twenty minutes, trying to realize what had happened to him +and in the patient, deliberate manner of a thrush to adjust himself to +his new conditions. In the nook were silence and delicious odors of the +woods; from a thick shrub on one side came the sweet erratic song of a +cat-bird, and at a little distance the rich organ-tones of the +wood-thrush. All these entered the soul of the emancipated bird; he +listened, he looked, and at last he spoke, a low, soft, "wee-o." That +broke the spell, he drew himself up, hopped about the tree, flew to a +shrub, all the time posturing and jerking wings and tail in extreme +excitement and no doubt happiness to the tips of his toes. At last he +dropped to the ground and fell to digging and reveling in the soft loose +earth with enthusiasm. The loving friend looking on was relieved; this +was what she had waited for, to be assured that he knew where to look +for supplies, and though she left his familiar dish full of food where +he could see it in case of accident, she came away feeling that he had +not been incapacitated for a free life by his months with her. + +One more glimpse of him made it clear also that he could fly as well as +his wild neighbors, and removed the last anxiety about him. A +wood-thrush, after noticing the stranger for some minutes, finally +braved the human presence and made a rush for the little fellow about +half his size. Whether war or welcome moved him was not evident, for +away they flew across the nook, not more than a foot apart, now sweeping +low over the grass, then mounting higher to pass over the shrubs that +defined it. A hundred feet or more the chase continued, and then the +smaller bird dropped into a low bush, and the larger one passed on. + +Then lonely, with empty cage and a happy heart-ache, his friend turned +away and left the beautiful bird to his fate, assured that he was well +able to supply his needs and to protect himself--in a word, to be +free. + + + + +A BIRD OF AFFAIRS. + + But now the sun is rising calm and bright; + The jay makes answer as the magpie chatters, + And all the air is filled with pleasant sound of waters, + All things that love the sun are out of doors. + + WORDSWORTH. + + + + +X. + +A BIRD OF AFFAIRS. + + +One of the most interesting birds I have studied was a blue-jay; I may +say is, for he stands at this moment not six feet from me, his whole +mind intent upon the business of driving small corks through a hole +which they snugly fit. He takes the cork, as he does everything, +lengthwise, and turns it about till he gets the smaller end outside; +then pushes it into the hole and pounds it, delivering straight and +rapid strokes with his iron beak, till it is not only driven up to the +head, but, since he has found out that he can do so, till it drops out +on the other side, when, after an interested glance to see where it has +fallen, he instantly goes to the floor for another, and repeats the +performance. Hammering, indeed, is one of his chief pleasures, and no +woodpecker, whose special mission it is supposed to be, can excel him; +in excitement, in anger, when suffering from _ennui_ or from +embarrassment, he always resorts to that exercise to relieve his +feelings. I have thought sometimes he did it to hear the noise and to +amuse himself, in which case it might be called drumming. + +Not only does my bird occupy himself with corks, but with perches and +the woodwork of his cage, with so great success that the former have to +be frequently renewed, and the latter looks as though rats had nibbled +it. The deliberate way in which he goes to work to destroy his cage is +amusing, lifting the end of a perch and quietly throwing it to the +floor, or pounding and splitting off a big splinter of the soft pine and +carefully hiding it. To give him liberty, as I have, is simply to +enlarge the field of his labors, and furnish him congenial employment +from morning to night, the happiest and busiest member of the household. +He tries everything: the covers of cardboard boxes, always choosing the +spot that is weakest at the corner, and pounding till it is ruined; the +cane seats of chairs, which he selects with equal judgment, and never +leaves till he has effected a breach; a delicate work-basket, at which +he labors with enthusiasm, driving his pickaxe bill into it and cutting +a big hole. It is most curious to see him set himself to pick a hole, +for instance, in a close-woven rattan chair, or a firm piece of matting +stretched upon the floor. Selecting, by some esoteric wisdom, the most +vulnerable spot, he pushes and pounds and pokes till he gets the tip of +his beak under a strand, and then pulls and jerks and twists till he +draws it out of its place. After this the task is easy, and he spends +hours over it, ending with a hole in the matting three or four inches in +diameter; for he is never discouraged, and his persistence of purpose is +marvelous. Books are a special object of his attentions; not only does +he peck the backs as they stand on the shelves, till he can insert his +beak and tear off a bit, but if he finds one lying down he thrusts the +same useful instrument into the edge, slightly open so as to enclose two +or three leaves, and then, with a dexterous twist of the head, jerks out +a neat little three-cornered piece. Thus he goes on, and after a short +absence from the room I have found a great litter of white bits, and my +big dictionary curiously scalloped on the edges. He is able to pound up +as well as down, crouching, turning his head back, and delivering +tremendous blows on the very spot he wishes, and so accurately that he +easily cuts a thread, holding its strands under one toe. + +But hammering, though a great pleasure, is not his dearest delight. The +thing for which, apparently, he came into the world is to put small +objects out of sight,--bury them, in fact. No doubt the business for +which Nature fitted him, and which in freedom he would follow with +enthusiasm, is the planting of trees; to his industry we probably owe +many an oak and nut tree springing up in odd places. In captivity, poor +soul, he does the best he can to fulfill his destiny. When he has more +of any special dainty than he can eat at the moment, as meat, or bread +and milk, he hides it at the back of his tray, or in the hole already +spoken of in connection with the corks; and when outside, nothing can be +droller than the air of concern with which he goes around the floor, +picking up any small thing he finds, left purposely for him, a burnt +match, a small key, stray pins, or a marble, and seeks the very best and +most secluded spot in the room in which to hide it. A pin he takes +lengthwise in his mouth, which he closes as though he had swallowed it, +as at first I feared he had. He has no doubt about the best place for +that; he long ago decided that between the leaves of a book is safest. +So he proceeds at once to find a convenient volume, and thrusts the pin +far in out of sight. A match gives him the most trouble. He tries the +cracks under the grooves in the moulding of the doors, the base board, +between the matting and the wall, or under a rocker; in each place he +puts it carefully, and pounds it in, then hops off, giving me one of +the + + "sidelong glances wise + Wherewith the jay hints tragedies," + +attempting to look unconcerned, as if he had not been doing anything. +But if he sees that he is observed, or the match is too plainly in +sight, he removes it and begins again, running and hopping around on the +floor with the most solemn, business-like air, as though he had the +affairs of nations on his shoulders, the match thrust nearly its whole +length into his mouth. The place usually decided upon is an opening +between the breadths of matting. It is amusing when he chances to get +hold of a box of matches, accidentally left open, for he feels the +necessity and importance of disposing of each one, and is busy and +industrious in proportion to the task before him. It is not so pleasing, +however, when, in his hammering, he sets one off, as he often does; for +they are "parlor matches," and light with a small explosion, which +frightens him half out of his wits, and me as well, lest he set the +house afire. The business of safely and securely secreting one match +will frequently occupy him half an hour. He finds the oddest +hiding-places, as in a caster between the wheel and its frame; up inside +the seat of a stuffed chair, to reach which he flies up on to the +webbing and goes in among the springs; in the side of my slipper while +on my foot; in the loop of a bow; in the plaits of a ruffle; under a +pillow. Often when I get up, a shower of the jay's treasures falls from +various hiding-places about my dress,--nails, matches, shoe-buttons, and +others; and I am never sure that I shall not find soft, milk-soaked +bread in my slipper. But the latest discovered and most annoying of his +receptacles is in my hair. He delights in standing on the high back of +my rocking-chair, or on my shoulder, and he soon discovered several +desirable hiding-places conveniently near, such as my ear, and under the +loosely dressed hair. I did not object to his using these, but when he +attempted to tuck away some choice thing between my lips I rebelled. I +never expect to find a keyhole that he can reach, free from bread +crumbs, and the openings of my waste-basket are usually decorated with +objects half driven in. + +The jay shows unbounded interest in everything. Every sound and every +fresh sight arouses him instantly; his crest comes up, his feathers +fluff out, and he is on tiptoe to see what will come next. He is +remarkably discriminating among people, and takes violent likes and +dislikes on the instant. Some persons, without any reason that I can +discover, he salutes on their first appearance with an indescribable +cry, like "obble! obble! obble!" At others he squawks madly. On one +occasion he took an intense dislike to a lady, of whom birds generally +are very fond, and he made a peculiar display of rage, squawking and +screaming at her, raising his crest, stamping, snapping his beak, giving +vicious digs at the side of the cage, as though he would eat her if he +could reach her. And although he often saw her, and she tried her best +to win him, he always showed the same spirit, going so far, when out of +his cage, as to show fight, fly up at her, peck her savagely, and chase +her to the door when she left. Again, a lady came in with her baby, and +he at once singled out the infant as his enemy, fixing a very wicked +glance on it, but in perfect silence. He jumped back and forth as if mad +to get out, and sat with open mouth, panting as if exhausted, with eyes +immovably turned to the baby. He would not pay the slightest attention +to any one else, nor answer me when I spoke, which was very unusual, +till they left the room, when the moment the door closed behind them he +began rapidly, as if to make up for lost time. Some visitors whom he +fancies, he receives in silence, but with slightly quivering wings; only +the very few he loves best are greeted with a low, sweet, and very +peculiar chatter, which he keeps up as long as he is talked to. + +Investigating everything in the room is one of my bird's greatest +pleasures, and most attractive of all he finds the drawer of my desk, on +the edge of which he stands, delighted and bewildered by the variety +before him. Great would be the havoc if I were not there; and the +curious thing about it is that he will pull things over carelessly, with +one eye on me, to see if I object. If, on touching some particular +thing, he sees that I do not approve,--and he recognizes my sentiment as +quickly as a bright child would,--that thing, and that only, he will +have. At once he snatches it and flies away across the room, and I may +chase him in vain. He regards it as a frolic got up for his amusement, +and no child ever equaled him in dodging; he cannot be driven, and if +cornered he uses his wings. I simply put my wits against his, follow him +about till he has to drop his load to breathe, when a sudden start sends +him off, and I secure it. If I cover up anything, he knows at once it is +some forbidden treasure, and devotes all his energy and cunning, which +are great, to uncovering and possessing himself of it. He opens any box +by delivering sharp blows under the edge of the cover, and hides my +postage stamps in books and magazines. He hops around the floor in a +heavy way, as often sideways as straight, and holds his toes as close +together as though he had worn tight boots all his life. If startled, he +bounds up into the air in the oddest way, a foot or two, or even more, +generally turning half round, and coming down with his head the other +way. If much alarmed he will bounce up in this way half a dozen times in +quick succession, and should he happen to be on a table at the time, he +usually ends by landing on the floor. His alighting after any flight is +most singular: he comes to the floor in a crouching position, legs +sprawled, body horizontal and nearly touching the matting, looking like +a bird gone mad; then instantly springs up six or eight inches, half +turns, and stands upright, crest erect, and looking excited, almost +frightened. If much disturbed he comes down with wings half open, tail +held up, and every feather awry, as if he were out in a gale, uttering +at the same time a loud squawk. He is a most expert catcher, not only +seizing without fail a canary seed thrown to him, but even fluttering +bits of falling paper, the hardest of all things to catch. + +The blue-jay is a bird of opinions about most things, and able to +express himself quite clearly; as, for example, when he found himself +under a chair without rounds, on which he likes to perch, he stood and +looked around on every side, and made a low, complaining cry, plainly a +protest against so unnatural a chair; and again, when he scolded at the +rain that came in sudden gusts against the window, or charged furiously +at the crack under a door when he heard sweeping outside. In general he +is very quiet when one is in the room, but the moment the door closes +behind the last person his voice is heard,--whistling exactly like a +boy, calling, squawking, and occasionally uttering a sweet, though not +loud song, which is varied by a sound like rubbing a cork against glass. +The most quiet approach silences him. When under strong emotion he may +squawk or scream before spectators, but he never whistles or sings when +he knows any one is in the room. When out of his sight and so long +silent that he has forgotten me, I have now and then heard the song. + +The funniest thing this knowing fellow does is to stamp his feet, and it +is a genuine expression of impatience or displeasure. When I take +something away from him or he thinks I mean to do so, or refuse him +something he wants, he stands still and jerks his feet in such a way +that they stamp with a loud sound, as if they were of iron. It is very +droll. In serious anger, he adds to this, bowing and curtsying by +bending the legs, snapping the bill, pecking, and jumping up with the +body without lifting the feet. + +It may be that the jay in freedom disturbs other birds, as has been +affirmed, but among a number smaller than himself my bird has never once +shown the least hostility. He is interested in their doings, but the +only unpleasant thing he has done is to shriek and scream to stop their +singing. In spite of his natural boldness, always facing the enemy, +always ready to fight, and never running from danger nor allowing +himself to be driven anywhere, when he is not quite well he is a timid +bird. In moulting, this spring, my jay lost his entire tail, and was +extremely awkward in getting about, almost helpless, in fact; and at +that time he was afraid to hop to the floor, and refused to come out of +the cage. (I should have said, by the way, that he feared hurting +himself; he was quite as spirited as ever, as ready to show fight.) To +get him out of the door I offered him the greatest inducements, with the +cage on the floor, so that he could not fall far. He would stand on the +lowest perch, three inches from the floor, look at the meat or whatever +treasure I placed in the open doorway, and cry a faint, low, jay-baby +cry, yet not dare descend, though plainly aching with desire to get the +object so nearly within his reach. Even since he is entirely recovered +and the possessor of a beautiful long tail, he dreads the one little +step and has to be coaxed out and in his cage every day, as we coax a +startled child. + +Nothing ever interested the jay more than a piano, though he is fond of +any music. The first time he heard one he quickly hopped across to the +player, pulled at the hem of her dress, flew up to her lap, then her +arm, and mounted to her shoulder, where he stood some time, looking and +listening, turning his head this way and that, raising his crest, +jerking his body, and in every way showing intense excitement. Finally +he took his last step, to the top of her head, where he was more pleased +to be than the player was to have him. She put him down; and the next +time he tried a different way, mounted to the keys, and thence to the +cover, crouching and peering under the lid to see where the sounds came +from. Satisfied about this, he returned to her head, which he evidently +considered the best post of observation. Every time she played she +received the devoted attentions of the bird, and he could not be kept +away. + +My blue-jay is now a beautiful creature, in perfect plumage, with breast +and back plumes so long that often in repose, just after he has dressed +them, the violet blue of the back meets the light drab of his breast, on +the side, covering his wings completely, and making a lovely picture. +All through the spring excitement, when the other birds, one after +another, grew uneasy, belligerent, or unhappy, and one after another +were returned to freedom, he never showed a moment's uneasiness, an +instant's desire to be free, but scrupulously attended to his own +regular business, which is to pound and pull and peck to pieces my +furniture, and especially to destroy my books. + +As these last words are written, just at dusk, the dear, troublesome +rogue comes down to the corner of his cage nearest to me, and as if he +understood that I had said something about him begins to talk and +remonstrate in a low, loving tone. I do feel reproached, and I must +unsay it. His business, his manifest destiny, is to hammer and peck the +shells of nuts, and to hide them away where they will grow; and if cruel +man confines him in a house, he must exercise his untiring energy, his +demon of work, in what he finds there,--and who can blame him, or find +fault? Not I, certainly. + +In behalf of this bird against whom the pen of nearly every writer is +lifted, let me quote from one of our early and most careful observers, +William Bartram: "The jay is one of the most useful agents in the +economy of nature for disseminating forest trees and other ruciferous +and hard-seeded vegetables on which they feed. These birds alone are +capable in a few years' time to replant all the cleared lands." Thoreau, +who was perhaps the closest of our modern students of nature, cites this +passage and emphatically affirms its justice. + + + + +THE BLUE-JAY AGAIN. + +As for birds, I do not believe there is one of them but does more good +than harm; and of how many featherless bipeds can this be said? + +LOWELL. + + + + +XI. + +THE BLUE-JAY AGAIN. + + +The blue-jay came out of the egg with his mind made up. He always knew +exactly what he wanted, and never doubted that he knew how to get it. I +wrote of this bird some time ago, but he was then a comparatively new +acquaintance. He lived with us many months after that, and became much +more familiar; for besides being slow to feel thoroughly at home, he was +very young, and he grew in wisdom with age. So I have more to say of +him. + +Human society was necessary to the jay; he cared for the other birds of +the room only as objects on which to play tricks for his own amusement. +He was peculiar, too, in never liking more than one friend at a time, +and was very decided in his opinions of people, having a distinctly +different reception for each one of the household, as well as for +strangers. His mistress was always his prime favorite; and although +during my absence from home he adopted some one temporarily in my +place, he was never so affectionate to that one as to me, and the +instant I returned resumed his old relations to each of us. + +To his best beloved this bird never squawked or whistled; on the +contrary, he talked in low, sweet tones, hardly more than a murmur, +slightly lifting and quivering his wings, sidling as near as he could +get, and if I put my face down to him touching my cheek or lips gently +with his beak, in little taps, like kisses. Any one else in that +position would receive a violent peck. Sometimes, when I was busy, and +therefore silent a long time, and the jay was in his cage, where I was +obliged to put him in order to work at all, he stood perfectly quiet and +motionless an hour at a time, moving only when he was hungry, and +apparently watching me every instant,--a performance very uncommon in a +bird, who usually has some interests of his own, however fond he may be +of a person. The moment I spoke to him his whole manner changed. He came +at once as near as he could, about four feet from me, and began to talk, +holding his tail on one side, and both wings spread to their fullest +extent and parallel with his back. In this attitude he hopped up and +down his three perches, always as near my side as possible, and +evidently in great excitement. If during this exhibition any one came +in, his wings instantly dropped, though he did not stop talking to me. +This action of the wings showed extreme affection, and must not be +profaned by common eyes. When I came close and replied to him, his +agitation was almost painful to see,--such loving tones, such gentle +kisses, such struggles to express himself. Not only did he insist on +sharing his dainties with me, offering me mocking-bird food or bread and +milk in the most loving way, but he wished to share mine; ice-cream he +delighted in, cake he was as fond of as any child, and candy he always +begged for, though instead of eating it he hid it somewhere about the +room,--under my pillow, or between the leaves of a book, all sticky as +it was from his mouth. + +Second in the blue-jay's affection was a lady to whom at first he took a +great dislike. She tried her best to win him, talking to him, treating +him to various tidbits, and offering him the hospitality of her +room,--separated from the bird-room by a passage,--and above all dancing +with him. These attentions in time secured her a warm place in his +regards, though his treatment of her was very different from that +reserved for me. He was always gentle with me, while in her society he +exhibited all his noisy accomplishments,--squawked, whistled and +screamed, stamped his feet, and jounced (the only word to describe a +certain raising and violent dropping of the body without lifting the +feet). He ran after her when she left the room; he pecked her hand, and +flew up at her face. Gradually, as he grew to like her better, the more +violent demonstrations ceased; but he was always boisterous with her, +generally expected a half-fight, half-frolic, and I must say never +failed to enjoy it greatly. + +The dance spoken of was droll. His chosen place for this indulgence was +the back of a tall chair. His friend stood before this, whistled, bowed, +and moved her head up and down as if dancing; and he on his perch did +the same, jumping up and down in a similar way, answering her whistle +for whistle, moving his feet, sliding from one side to the other, +curtsying, lowering the body and flattening the head feathers, then +rising, stamping his feet, and drooping his wings. This he kept up as +long as she played second to him. + +When this playfellow went away, the jay missed his dances and frolics. +He flew into her empty room, perched on the back of the rocking-chair, +where he had been wont to stand and pull her hair, and began a peculiar +cry. Again and again he repeated it, louder and louder each time, till +it ended in a squawk, impatient and angry, as much as to say, "Why +don't you answer?" After a while he began to whistle the notes she used +to imitate; finding that this brought no response, he returned to the +cry; and when at last he had exhausted all his resources, he came back +to my desk and consoled himself by talking to me. + +A young lady in the family he greeted by flying at her, alighting on her +chair-back, clawing her neck, and squawking; and before a youth who +often teased him he trailed his wings on the floor, tail spread and +dragging also, uttering a curious "obble! obble!" something like the cry +of a turkey. The head of the household he met with stamping of the feet, +and no sound; while at a maid who came in to sweep he always flew +furiously, aiming for her head, and invariably frightening her half out +of her wits. + +The jay was extremely wary about anything like a trap, and being always +on the lookout for one, he sometimes, like bigger persons, fooled +himself badly. Finding him fond of standing on a set of turning +bookshelves, I thought to please him by arranging over it a convenient +resting-place. He watched me with great interest, but, when I had +finished, declined to use the perch, though ordinarily nothing could +keep him from trying every new thing. I put a bait upon it in the shape +of bits of gum-drops, a favorite delicacy; but he plainly saw that I +wanted him to go to it, and in the face of the fact that I had +heretofore tried to keep him off the papers and magazines lying there, +he decided that it was suspicious. He flew so as almost to touch the +stick, and hovered before it to snatch off the candy placed there; but +alight on it he would not, and did not, though I kept it in place a +week. + +In many ways this bird was wise; he knew exactly where to deliver his +blows to effect what he desired. A cage-door being fastened with fine +wire, he never wasted a stroke upon the door, but gave telling blows +directly upon the wire. A rubber band was looped about a rod for him to +play with, in the expectation that he would pull on it and make sport; +but he disappointed us all by hammering at the loop, until he loosened +it and easily pulled it off. Again it was tied on with strong linen +thread; he turned his whole attention to the knot of the latter, till it +yielded and was disposed of also. + +Dear as was this bird, he was a more than usually troublesome pet. My +desk became his favorite playground, and havoc indeed he made with the +things upon it; snatching and running off with paper, pen, or any small +object, destroying boxes and injuring books. Finally, in self-defense, +I adopted the plan of laying over it every morning a woolen cloth, which +must be lifted every time anything was taken from the desk. This +arrangement did not please my small friend in blue, and he took pains to +express his displeasure in the most emphatic way. He came down upon the +cover, tramped all over it, and sought small holes in it through which +to thrust his bill. One day he was busily engaged in hammering a book +through an opening, and to cure him of the trick I slipped my hand +under, caught his beak between two fingers, and held it a moment. This +amazed but did not alarm the bird; on the contrary, he plainly decided +to persevere till he found out the secret. He pecked the mounds made by +my fingers; he stooped and looked into the hole, and then probed again. +This time I held him longer, so that he had to struggle and beat his +wings to get away, and then he walked off indignantly. Still he was not +satisfied about that mystery, and in a moment he was back again, trying +in new ways to penetrate it. I was tired before he was. He was baffled +only temporarily; he soon learned to draw up the fabric, hold the slack +under one foot while he pulled it still further, and thus soon reach +anything he desired. + +The blue-jay always pried into packages by pecking a hole in the +wrapper and examining the contents through that; and boxes he opened by +delivering upward blows under the edge of the cover. The waste-basket he +nearly emptied from the outside by dragging papers through the openings +in the weaving. Seeing two or three unmounted photographs put into a +book, he went speedily for that volume, thrust his beak into the slight +opening made by the pictures, and pulled them out, flying at once across +the room with one in his mouth. It was secured and put back, and the +book held down by a heavy weight; but he found the place at once, and +repeated the naughtiness. The book had to be completely covered up +before the photographs were safe. + +After the blue-jay had put on a new suit of feathers he flew with great +ease, and selected for a retreat the top of a door into the passageway +mentioned, which usually stood open. It was not long before his +curiosity was roused to know what was outside the door that so often +swallowed up his friends,--that into the hall. He resolved to find out, +and to that end, when stationed on the elevated perch of his choice, +held himself in readiness, upon the exit of any one, to fly out. He did +not wish to get away; he merely took a turn in the hall, and came back; +and once, when accidentally left in that unfamiliar place, he stayed in +the bath-room, with window wide open, for half an hour before he was +found. He became so expert in flying out of the door that it was a +difficult matter to pass through without his company; we had to train +ourselves in sleight-of-hand to outwit him. There were two ways of +getting the better of him; mere suddenness was of no use,--he was much +quicker than we were. One way was to go to the room on the other side of +the passage, where he was sure to follow, and before he fairly settled +there, to dodge back and shut the door,--a proceeding so unexpected that +he never learned to allow for it. The other way was to go to the +hall-door as if intending to open it; instantly the bird swooped down, +ready to slip out also, but finding the way closed, swept around the +room and alighted somewhere. This was the second to open the door and +step out, for he always paused a moment before flying again. + +The only notice the jay ever took of the birds, as said above, was to +tease them, or put them in a flutter; as society he plainly despised +them. They soon learned to regard him as a sort of infernal machine, +liable at any moment to explode; and they were fully justified, for he +was fond of surprising them by unexpectedly flying around the room, tail +spread, feathers rustling, squawking madly in a loud voice. He usually +managed in his career to sweep close over the head of every bird, of +course frightening them off their perches, and thus to put the whole +room into a panic. They took refuge anywhere,--under the bed, behind the +chairs, against the wires, and on the floor,--while the mischief-maker +circled around, filling the air with shrieks, then suddenly dropped to +the round of a chair and calmly dressed his feathers, as if he had +merely been exercising his wings. + +Poor little fellow! he was hardly more than a baby, and not very brave. +A big grasshopper which once got into the room afforded him great +excitement and the spectators much amusement. He saw it before his cage +was opened, and as soon as he came out he went after it. The insect +hopped up three feet, and so startled the bird that he jumped almost as +high. When it alighted he picked it up, but seeming not to know what to +do with it, soon dropped it. Again it hopped, and again the jay repeated +his bound; and this performance went on for some minutes, one of the +drollest of sights,--his cautious approach, the spring of the insect, +and his instant copy of the same, as if in emulation. After being picked +up several times the grasshopper was disabled; then when the bird came +near, it lifted its wings, plainly to scare its persecutor; it did awe +him. Meanwhile an orchard oriole had been eagerly looking on, and on one +occasion that the grasshopper was dropped he pounced upon it and carried +it off to a chair, where he proceeded to eat it, though it was so big as +to be almost unmanageable. The jay did not like being deprived of his +plaything. He ran after the thief, and stood on the floor, uttering a +low cry while watching the operation. In the oriole's moving the clumsy +insect fell to the floor, when the jay snatched it; and it was evident +that he had got a new idea about its use, for he carried it under a +chair and demolished it completely,--not even a wing remained. + +More disturbing to the jay, strange as it may seem, was a tree. It was +really touching to see a bird afraid of this, but the poor youngster had +been taken from the nest to a house. A Christmas tree was brought into +the bird-room to please the residents there, when, to our amazement, the +jay went into a wild fright, flew madly around near the ceiling, +squawking, and making the other birds think something terrible had +happened. He flew till he was breathless, and was evidently very much +distressed. For three or four days he was equally alarmed the moment he +caught sight of it in the morning and whenever I moved it an inch, +though the other birds liked it and were on it half the time. When he +did get used to it he did not go upon it, but to the standard below, +where he could pick the needle-like leaves and carry them off to hide +about the room. + +The blue-jay took his bath in an original way as he did everything else. +First, he stood beside the wide, shallow dish, looked at it, then at me +and all around the room, one wing drooping and the other laid jauntily +over the back, while he talked in a low tone, as if he said, "If anybody +is going to object, now is the time." No one ventured to dispute his +right, and suddenly he plumped into the middle, neither alighting on the +edge nor testing the water. Then there was a lively frolic, with tail +spread, crest raised, wings beating, and the water flying several feet +around. He was a very beautiful bird when in perfect-plumage. There were +six distinct shades of blue, besides rich velvety black, snowy white, +delicate dove color, and blue-gray. He is too well known to need +description, but a jay is not often so closely seen when alive and in +perfection of plumage. This bird had a charming way of folding his wings +that hid all the plain blue-gray. When held thus and laid together over +the back, there were displayed first the beautiful tail, with broad +white edges to the feathers; above it the wings looking like a square +cut mantle, of the same colors; above this a deep pointed shoulder cape, +of rich violet blue, the feathers fluffed up loosely; and at the top of +all, his exquisite crest. + + + + +VIRGINIA'S WOOING. + + For who the pleasure of the spring shall tell, + When on the leafless stalk the brown buds swell, + When the grass brightens and the days grow long, + And little birds break out in rippling song. + + CELIA THAXTER. + + + + +XII. + +VIRGINIA'S WOOING. + + +You must know in the beginning that Virginia wore feathers. But she had +as many trials with her suitors as though she dressed in silks, and she +displayed so much of what we call "human nature" that her story is as +interesting as that of half the Ethels and Marguerites of the romances. + +She came of a good old family, the Cardinals, and, belonging to the +Virginia branch, was called properly Virginia Cardinal, or, in +scientific, fashion, _Cardinalis Virginianus_. She was a beauty, too. It +is well known that the cardinal himself has a full suit of the most +brilliant red, but it is not so familiar a fact that the dames of the +tribe are more modest and wear the family colors simply as linings and +in subdued tints: rich rose-colored wing-facings, light coral-hued beak, +delicate pink crest, all toned down by the soft olive 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 leaned far over and fixed his eyes on her, crest +raised to its greatest height, wings held slightly out, and addressed +her in a very low but distinct song, which resembled the syllables +"cur-dle-e! cur-dle-e! cr-r-r"; the latter sounding almost like a cat's +purr. After singing this several times, and being slighted by her +leaving the cage, he laid his crest flat down, muttered something so low +that it could not be noted, and looked very much put out. Soon, however, +he shook his feathers violently, flung himself at her, and she dodged, +as before. When both happened to be for a moment in their own cages, the +door was suddenly closed between, and each had his own, as at first. +Madam was delighted, but the cardinal resented it; he tried to remove +the obnoxious barrier, pecked at it, shook it, and could not be +reconciled. He grew hungry and was obliged to eat, but between every two +seeds he returned to struggle with the bars that kept him from her. +Meanwhile Virginia had apparently forgotten all about him, eating and +making her toilet for the night, as cheerful as usual. + +The next morning, the outside doors of the two cages were opened, and +both birds at once came out into the room. The cardinal, not yet over +his tiff of the evening before, took wing for the trees outside the +windows, and brought up, of course, against the glass. He was greatly +disappointed. He alighted on top of the lower sash, tested, examined, +and tried to solve the mystery. Virginia, too, tried to go through the +pane, but learned in one lesson that it was useless. She did not care +much about it any way, for she was perfectly contented inside. She went +around the room, hovering slowly under the ceiling, which is always of +interest to birds, and then set herself to work in a most systematic +manner to find out all about the new world she was in. She examined the +outside perches and tried each one; she explored the bathing table, +flirted out a little water from the dishes, and at last thought it time +to make acquaintance with her neighbors. + +She began with the robin, and flew to his roof. The robin was not +pleased, snapped at her, opened his mouth, uttered a queer low +robin-cry, "seep," and pecked at her feet, while she stood quietly +looking down at the show from above, as much interested as though it +were arranged to amuse her. At length she began to make the more formal +visit. She dropped to the door-perch and approached the entrance. The +inhospitable owner met her there, not to welcome and invite her in, but +to warn her out! He lowered his head, opened his beak, and bowed to her, +looking very wicked indeed. It was plain that he was "not receiving" +that morning. But Virginia had come to call, and call she would. Nothing +daunted by his coolness, she hopped in. The robin was amazed; then +declared war in his peculiar way,--first a hop of six inches, with +wings spread, then a savage clatter of the bill. His guest met this +demonstration quite calmly. She lowered her head, to defend herself if +necessary, but made no other movement. Her calmness filled the robin +with horror; he fled the cage. Then she went all over it, and satisfied +herself that it was much like her own, only the food-dish was filled +with some uneatable black stuff, instead of the vegetarian food she +preferred. She soon departed. + +Meanwhile the cardinal was wasting his time over the window problem, +touching the glass with his beak, flying up a few inches before it, +gently tapping the pane as he went. It was two or three days before he +made up his mind he could not get through. After that he was as +indifferent to the outside as any bird in the room, and turned his +attention once more to Virginia. Whenever they were in their cages, with +the door open between, he assumed the lord-and-mastership of the two; he +drove her away from her own food-cups, usurped her perch and her cage, +and made himself disagreeable generally. Finally, one day when she was +sitting quietly on the upper perch of his deserted cage, he came into +the same cage, and, resting on the low perch close to the door, his tail +hanging outside, began a low call, a curious sort of "e-up," with a +jerk on the second syllable. Though a common enough sound for a +cardinal, this plainly meant more than was apparent to human spectators. +Virginia at once grew uneasy, hopped across the upper perches, and when +her nervousness became too great dashed down past him, though he was +partly in the doorway, and into her own cage, where she resumed her +restless jumps. He was not pleased with her reception of his attentions; +he sat a long time in that attitude, perfectly still, perhaps meditating +what step he should take next, glancing at her meanwhile over his +shoulder, but not stirring a feather. Time passed, and he came to a +decision of some sort, which was shown by a change of position. He +turned around, and took his seat on the corresponding perch in her cage, +just before the door. This impressed Virginia; she stopped her hopping +and looked over at him with an air of wondering what he would do next. +What he did was to hop one step nearer, to the middle perch. Upon this +she abandoned her place, came to the floor, and began to eat in the most +indifferent manner; then passed into his cage, then back to the floor of +her own, still eating, while he sat silent and motionless on the middle +perch, evidently much disturbed by her conduct. After an hour of this +performance he retired to her upper perch, and stayed there. + +The same day, the jealousy of the unsuccessful wooer was aroused by a +fine, fresh-looking cardinal whom he saw in the looking-glass. In flying +past it he caught a glimpse of his reflection, and at once turned, +alighted before it, and began calling vehemently; holding out, and +quivering his wings, and flying up against the figure again and again in +the most savage way. The next day he began to mope and refused to come +out of the cage; whether because of illness, or disappointed affections, +who shall say? + +The time of her tormentor's retirement was one of great happiness to +Virginia. She paid her usual visit to the robin, and he, as at first, +vacated the cage, this having become the regular morning programme. Now, +too, she went on to extend her acquaintance by entering the cage of +another neighbor, a scarlet tanager, a shy, unobtrusive fellow, who +asked nothing but to be let alone. This bird also did not reciprocate +her neighborly sentiments; he met her with open beak, but finding that +did not awe her, nor prevent her calmly walking in, he hastily left the +cage himself. During the time that her persecutor was sulking, and not +likely to bother, she had leisure for the bath, which she enjoyed +freely, coming out with her long breast-feathers hanging in locks and +looking like a bundle of rags. Her last experimental call was now made +upon another household, the Baltimore orioles, and there she met with +something new--perfect indifference. Even when both of the birds were at +home they did not resent her coming in. She went to the upper perch with +them; the cage was big, there was plenty of room, and they were willing. +Their manners, in fact, were so agreeable that if their cups had been +supplied with seed, I think she would have taken up her abode with them; +as it was, she frequently spent half an hour at a time there. On this +eventful day Virginia began to sing, for in her family the musical +performances are not confined to the males. + +After several days of retirement, the cardinal plucked up spirit to +resume his annoyance of Virginia, and for a few nights a queer sort of +game was played by the two, explain it who can. If the barrier between +the cages was removed after the outside doors were shut for the night, +he at once went to her cage and to the middle perch. Virginia, on the +upper perch, waited till he reached that spot, then dropped to the +floor, slipped through the door into his cage, and went to the upper +perches there, where she hopped back and forth, while he did the same in +her cage. Suddenly, after a few moments, down he came again through the +door to his own middle perch, when instantly, as before, she retreated +into her cage. Thus they went on an hour at a time; he apparently +following her from one cage to another, and she declining to occupy the +same apartment with him. Occasionally it was not so calm; he lost his +temper, or grew tired of trying to please; once or twice, without +warning, he lowered his head, looked ugly, and fairly burst into her +cage and flung himself at her. She dived under or bounded over a perch, +any way to escape him, and took refuge in the other cage. + +This could not go on long; the cardinal lost interest in everything, +took to moping, and at last died,--disappointed affection, shall we say, +or what? Virginia was relieved; she sang more and in a louder tone, +hopping around her cage with a seed in her mouth, flying through the +room, or splashing in the bath; in fact she was bubbling over with song +all the time, as if she were so happy she could not keep still. She paid +her daily visits to the cages, forcing the robin to take an outing, +which he did not care to do while moulting and not very sure of his +powers. + +Many birds show emotions by raising the feathers on different parts of +the body, but this bird was remarkable in the expression of her crest +alone. When she peeped into a strange cage, and was somewhat uncertain +of her reception, the crest laid flat down, her very head seemed to +shrink; she stepped in at the door, excited, for it might be peace and +it might be war; the feathers rose and fell alternately; if suddenly +startled, the crest sprang to its highest point; and when singing, or +passing peacefully about the room, it dropped carelessly back on her +head. + +Virginia was allowed a week's solitary enjoyment of the two cages, and +then one day a new tenant appeared in the cardinal's quarters. She was +out in the room when he arrived, but she instantly came over and +alighted on his roof, to have a look at him. Most expressive was her +manner. She stood in silence and gazed upon him a long time; all her +liveliness and gayety were gone, and she appeared to be struck dumb by +this new complication of her affairs. It was plain that she was not +pleased. Perhaps her dislike was evident to the new bird, for suddenly +he flew up and snapped at her, which so surprised her that she hopped a +foot into the air. When the time came to open the door into her cage, +the stranger was delighted to go in, but Virginia dodged him, exactly as +she had done his predecessor. He did not lose his temper and condescend +to the vulgarity of flying at her, as the first admirer had done. He +looked interested to see that she avoided him, but after all he did not +take it much to heart. This cardinal, like the other, was not yet +acclimated--if one may call it so--to life in a house, and after a week +he also took his departure. + +Now Virginia, free again, became at once very gay. She sang all the +time; she kept the robin stirring; she bathed; she waxed fat. But her +time was approaching. Spring came on, and with the first warm weather +the birds began to disappear from the room. First the tanager expressed +a desire to mingle with society once more, and went his way; then the +orioles were sent to carry on their rough wooing in the big world +outside; the robin followed; and at last Virginia was left with several +big empty cages and only two birds, a reserved and solitude-loving +Mexican clarin, and a saucy goldfinch, so long a captive that he had no +desire for freedom. Now for the first time Virginia was lonely; the +strange quiet of the once lively room worked upon her temper. She +snapped at her little neighbor; she haunted the window-sill and gazed +out; while nothing hindered her passage excepting the weather, our +climate being rather cool for her. + +At last July, with its great heat, arrived, and the restless bird was +carried by a kind friend, who offered to do this good deed, to a place +in Central Park, New York, where a small colony of her kind have +established themselves and build and nest every year. Here she was set +free, and here she met her third suitor. The place and the season were +propitious, and Virginia was ready to look with favor on a smart young +cardinal in the brightest of coats, who came in response to her calls +the moment she found herself on a tree, really out in the world. A +little coaxing, a few tender words, and she flew away with him, and we +saw her no more. + + + + +FRIENDSHIP IN FEATHERS. + + Why should I cumber myself with regrets that the receiver is not + capacious? It never troubles the sun that some of his rays fall wide + and vain into ungrateful space, and only a small part on the + reflecting planet. EMERSON. + + + + +XIII. + +FRIENDSHIP IN FEATHERS. + + +Emerson somewhere speaks of a friendship "on one side, without due +correspondence on the other," and I often thought of it while watching +the curious relation between two birds in my house last winter; for the +more one studies our feathered neighbors, the better he comes to realize +that the difference between their intelligence and that of man himself +is "only of less and more." + +This friendship, then, was all on one side. It was not a case of "love +at sight"; on the contrary, it was first war, and the birds had been +room-mates for months before any unusual interest was shown; neither was +it simple admiration of beauty, for the recipient of the tenderness was +at his worst at the moment; nor, again, could it be the necessity of +loving somebody, for the devotee had lived in the house ten years, and +had seen forty birds of almost as many kinds come and go, without +exhibiting any partiality. The parties to this curious affair were, +first, the beloved, a male scarlet tanager, whose summer coat was +disfigured with patches of the winter dress he was trying to put on; and +secondly, the lover, a male English goldfinch, scarcely half his size. + +The tanager, as perhaps every one knows, is one of our most brilliant +birds, bright scarlet with black wings and tail. He is as shy as he is +gay, living usually in the woods, and not taking at all kindly to the +enforced companionship of mankind. I had long been anxious to make the +acquaintance of this retiring bird, partly because I desire to know +personally all American birds, and partly because I wanted to watch his +change of plumage; for the scarlet uniform is only the marriage dress, +and put off at the end of the season. Hence whenever I saw a tanager in +a New York bird store I brought it home, though dealers always warned me +that it would not live in confinement. My first attempts were +disastrous, certainly. The birds refused to become reconciled, even with +all the privileges I gave them, and one after another died, I believe +for no other reason than their longing for freedom. Let me say here that +feeling thus, they would have received their liberty, much as I wished +to study them, only their plumage was not in condition to fly, and they +would go out to certain death. My hope was to make them contented +through the winter, while they put on a new suit of feathers, and open +the doors for them in summer. + +The subject of this tale, and the last of the series, I procured of a +dealer who has learned to keep tanagers in good condition, and I never +had trouble with this bird's health or spirits. It was not until May +that he wished to leave me. When he joined the circle in the room he had +just thoroughly learned that a cage was a place he could not get out of, +and he had ceased to try. The first morning when his neighbors came out +of their cages he was as much astonished as if he had never seen birds +out of a bird store. He stretched up and looked at them with the +greatest interest. When one or two began to splash in the large shallow +bathing dishes on the table, he was much excited, and plainly desired to +join them. I opened his door and placed in it a long perch leading to +freedom. For some time he did not come out, and when he did, the sudden +liberty drove out of his head all thoughts of a bath. When he flew, he +aimed straight for the trees outside the window, and of course came +violently against the glass. + +This experience all house birds have to go through, and it is sometimes +several days before they learned the nature of glass. The tanager +learned his lesson more quickly. He fell to the floor at first, from the +shock, but in a few moments recovered himself and returned, this time +alighting on the top of the lower sash and proceeding to examine the +strange substance through which he could see, but could not go. He +gently tapped the glass with his beak the whole length of the window, +passing back and forth several times till satisfied. Turning at last +from that, he cast his eye around for another exit, and settled on the +white ceiling as the most likely place. Then he flew all about the room +close to the ceiling, touched it now and then with his beak, and finding +it also impassable, he came down to the window again. He had not the +least curiosity about the room, and was not at all afraid of me. The +world outside the windows and his cage when he was hungry, were all that +he cared for at present--except the bath. + +The goldfinch was bathing the second time he came out, and he went +directly to the table and perched on the side of the dish. Now the one +thing the little fellow most delighted in was his morning bath, and he +at once resented the intrusion of the stranger. He flew at him with open +beak and lifted wings, scolding vigorously, in fact gave him so hostile +a reception that he quickly retired to the top of the cage, where he +stood a long time. Afterward also, the goldfinch showed so strong a +determination that the intruder should not enjoy his beloved bath, that +at last I had to keep him in his cage while the new-comer had a chance +at the water. + +This did not go on long, however, for very soon the tanager deliberately +gave up the world of the bird-room, and insisted on remaining in his +cage. In vain was his door set open with the others, in vain did the +birds splash and splatter the water, he would not come out, though he +did not mope or lose his appetite. In truth, it seemed merely as if he +scorned the advantages offered; if he could not go out free into the +trees, he would as lief stay in his cage--and he did. This is a not +uncommon habit of cage birds. They often need to be driven or coaxed +out. Having once learned that the cage is home with all its comforts and +conveniences, they prefer to be there. + +The tanager was always a very shy bird; he did not like to be looked at. +If he could manage it, he would never eat while any one saw him. Often, +when I put a bit of apple or a meal-worm in his cage, he stood and +looked at it and at me, but did not move till I turned away, or walked +out of his sight, when he instantly pounced upon it as if starved. To +make him altogether happy I put a screen around one corner of his cage, +behind which were his dishes, and after that it was very droll to see +him crouch behind that and eat, every moment or two stretching up to +glance over the top and see if I had moved. If I stirred as though about +to leave my chair, he at once whisked to the upper perch as if he had +been caught in a crime. + +The first I noticed of the goldfinch's friendliness to him was after he +had lived with us five or six months. + +This small bird, in a room of larger ones, was somewhat driven about. I +do not mean hurt, but if any one wanted a certain perch he did not +hesitate to take it, even if it were already occupied by so little a +fellow. He soon learned that near the tanager he was not often molested, +and he began first to frequent the perch that ran out of the cage--the +doorstep in fact. Finding that he was not disturbed, he soon moved his +quarters just inside the door. Most birds quickly resent the intrusion +of another into their cage, but the tanager never did. So long as he was +left alone on his favorite upper perches, he did not care who went in +below. This being the case, after a while the goldfinch ventured upon +the middle perch. Still he was not noticed; but presuming on the +friendly attitude of his host, he one day hopped upon the perch beside +him. This was a step too far; the house-owner turned an open beak toward +him, and in unmistakable tones told him to leave--which he at once did, +of course. + +This boundary made by the tanager was never changed, but in the rest of +the cage the goldfinch made himself at home, and at once assumed the +position of protector. Seeing that the owner did not,--and sure it was +somebody's duty,--he began to guard the door, warning away any one who +wished to enter, with harsh scolding, fluttering of wings, and swelling +up of his little body, amusing to see. The boldest bird in the room was +awed by these demonstrations coming from the inside as though the cage +were his own. The tanager looked on all this with some interest, but +expressed no more gratitude at being protected than he had resentment at +being driven from the bath. + +Soon I noticed a certain chattering talk from the small bird that he had +never indulged in excepting to another of his kind--his companion when +he first came to me. It was very low but almost continuous, and was +plainly addressed to the tanager. As his friendliness progressed, he +found the lower perch too far from his charmer, and not being allowed to +sit beside him he took to clinging upon the outside of the cage as near +to the tanager's usual seat as he could get. The only perching place he +had there was a band of tin that held the wires steady, but in spite of +what must have been the discomfort of the position, there he hung by the +hour, talking, calling, and looking at his idol within. He left the spot +only to eat and bathe, and I think if the cage had been supplied with +seed he would never have gone at all. When the bird inside hopped to the +perch at the other end of the cage, which was the extent of his +wanderings, the finch at once followed on the outside, always placing +himself as near as possible. It was really touching, to all but the +object of it, who took it in the most indifferent way. When the tanager +went down to eat, his escort accompanied him as far as the door perch, +where he stood and looked on earnestly, ready to return to his old place +the moment the luncheon was finished. + +On the rare occasions that the self-elected hermit went out, the +goldfinch displayed great concern, evidently preferring to have his +favorite at home where he could defend him. He flew uneasily across from +the cage to his side, then back, as if to show him the way. He also +desired to watch the empty house, to preserve it from intrusion, but was +constantly divided between his duties of special porter, and bodyguard. +But he did his best, even then; he followed the wanderer. If the tanager +went to a perch the goldfinch at once alighted on the same, about a foot +away, and sidled up as near as he was allowed. He was free to come +within about three inches, but nearer he was driven off, so the little +fellow placed himself at this distance and there stayed patiently as +long as his friend remained. If the latter had been more responsive, I +believe the goldfinch would have nestled up against him. + +The tanager sometimes strayed into a strange cage, and then the anxious +guard followed to the steps and even within, talking earnestly, and no +doubt pointing out the danger, yet if the owner unexpectedly appeared he +met him at the threshold and fiercely defended the door against the +proprietor himself. Occasionally the erratic recluse went to the +floor--a place never visited by his little attendant, whose trouble was +almost painful to see. He at once placed himself on the lowest perch, +stretched out and looked over, following every movement with his eyes, +in silence, as though the danger was too great to allow conversation, +and when his charge returned to a perch, he uttered a loud and joyous +call as though some peril had been escaped. + +The stanch little friend had many chances to show his loyalty. The other +birds in the room were not slow to take advantage of one who never +defended himself. In particular a Brazilian cardinal, a bold saucy +fellow with a scarlet pointed crest and a loud voice, evidently +considered the tanager cage common ground, open to everybody, until the +goldfinch undertook its defense. It was amusing to see the small bird +stand just inside, and rage, puff himself out, wave his wings, and +fairly drive away the foe. So impertinent was the Brazilian that the +finch declared general war upon him, and actually chased his big +antagonist around the room and away from his favorite perches, hovering +over his head, and flying around it in small circles, trying to peck it, +till he flew away defeated, probably because he was too much amazed to +think of resisting. + +This was not, however, the worst enemy he had to deal with. Next door to +the tanager lived a robin, a big, rollicking, fun-loving fellow who +considered such a retiring personage fair game. His pleasure was to see +that the tanager went out every day, and he made it his business to +enforce the regulation he had set up. His tactics were to jump upon the +roof of the cage, coming down violently just over the head of the +tanager, who, of course, hopped quickly to the other perch. Then the +robin began a mad war-dance across the cage, wings held up, tail spread, +bill clattering, and altogether looking as full of mischief as any bad +boy one ever saw, while the tanager went wild below, flying in a panic +back and forth, but not for some time thinking of leaving the cage. The +instant this performance began, the little champion was upon him; he +alighted at one end of the short tramping ground on the cage, and met +his big foe with open beak and every sign of war. The robin simply +lowered his head and went for him, and the little bird had to fly. He +pluckily returned at once to the other end and faced him again. + +Observing that the goldfinch alone was not able to keep the robin away, +I provided the cage with a roof of paper, which is usually a perfect +protection, since birds dislike the rustle. It did not dismay this +naughty fellow, however; on the contrary, it gave an added zest because +of that very quality. He pranced across it in glee, making a great +noise, and when the violence of his movements pushed it aside, he peered +down on the tanager, who stood panting. The sight pleased him, and he +resumed his pranks; he lifted the handle of the cage and let it drop +with a clatter; he jerked off bits of paper and dropped them into the +cage, and in every way showed a very mischievous spirit. Meanwhile, all +through the confusion the goldfinch scolded furiously, flying around to +get a peck at him, and in every way challenging him to fight. +Occasionally, when he became too troublesome, the robin turned and +snapped his beak at him, but did not choose to leave the bigger game. + +When at last he tired of his fun, or was driven away, the goldfinch flew +to the side of the cage where the frightened tanager had taken refuge, +though there was not even a strip of tin to hold on, uttered his loud +cheerful call several times, plainly congratulating and reassuring him, +and telling him all was safe; and here he clung with difficulty to the +upright wires, all the time slipping down, till the tanager went to the +upper regions again. Every time the robin so much as flew past, the +tireless little fellow rushed out at him, scolding. When finally the +robin went into his own cage, and the tanager returned to his usual +place, the goldfinch at once assumed his uncomfortable perch and sang a +loud sweet song, wriggling his body from side to side, and expressing +triumph and delight in a remarkable way. + +The approach of spring made a change in the tanager. He had not so +completely given up the world as it appeared. He began to chirp, to +call, and at last to sing. He was still so shy he went down behind his +screen to sing, but sing he must and did. Now, too, he began to resent +the attentions of his admirer, occasionally giving the poor little toes +a nip, as they clung to the tin band near his seat. He also went out +now, and turned an open beak upon his friend. From simply enduring him, +he suddenly began offensive operations against him. Poor little lover! +an ungrateful peck did not drive him away, but simply made him move a +little farther off, and stopped his gentle twittering talk a while. But +the tanager grew more and more belligerent. He came out every day, took +soaking baths, and returned to his examination of the windows, for the +trees were green outside, and plainly he longed to be on them. He stood +and looked out, and called, and held his wings up level with his back, +fluttering them gently. + +All this time the devotion of the little one never changed, though it +was so badly received. When the tanager turned savagely and gave his +faithful friend a severe peck, instead of resenting it the hurt bird +flew to another perch, where he stood a long time, uttering occasionally +a low, plaintive call, as if of reproach, all his cheerfulness gone, a +melancholy sight indeed. I waited only for warm days to set free the +tanager, and at last they came. Early in June the bird was put into a +traveling cage, carried into the country, where a lovely bit of woods +and a pretty lake insured a good living, and the absence of sparrows +made it safe for a bird that had been caged. Then the door was opened, +and he instantly flew out of sight. + +The bird left at home seemed a little lost for a few days, moped about, +often visited the empty cage, but in a short time entirely abandoned it, +and evidently looked no more for his friend. But he is changed too: not +quite so gay as before; not so much singing; and not a word of the soft +chattering talk we heard so constantly while his beloved friend was +here. + + + + +THE ROSY SHIELD. + + Soft falls his chant as on the nest + Beneath the sunny zone, + For love that stirred it in his breast + Has not aweary grown, + And 'neath the city's shade can keep + The well of music clear and deep. + + And love that keeps the music, fills + With pastorial memories. + All echoing from out the hills, + All droppings from the skies, + All flowings from the wave and wind + Remembered in the chant I find. + + ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING. + + + + +XIV. + +THE ROSY SHIELD. + + +One of the most winning inhabitants of my bird-room last winter bore on +his snow-white breast a pointed shield of beautiful rose-color, and the +same rich hue lined his wings. With these exceptions his dress was of +sober black and white, though so attractively disposed that he was an +extremely pretty bird--the rose-breasted grosbeak. + +Nor was beauty his only attraction; he was a peculiar character, in +every way different from his neighbors. He was dignified, yet his +dignity was not like that of a thrush; he was calm and cool, yet not +after the manner of an orchard oriole. He possessed a lovely gentleness +of disposition, and a repose of manner unparalleled 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 a +civilized being, that is, took his stand by the seed-cup, and stayed +there, attending strictly to the business in hand till he had finished, +leaving a neat pile of canary-seed shells in one spot, instead of the +general litter common to cages. The meal over, he was ready to go out of +the cage, place himself comfortably in one of his favorite corners, and +remain for a long time, amused with the life in the room and the doings +in the street, on both of which he seemed to look with the eye of a +philosopher. In the same deliberate and characteristic way he disposed +of a 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 it +under one toe and took it in mouthfuls like an oriole: he quietly worked +it back and forth between his mandibles till reduced to a pulp, and then +swallowed it. + +The rosy shield-bearer was preeminently a creature of habit. Very early +in his life with us he selected certain resting places for his private +use, and all the months of his stay he never changed them. The one +preferred above all others was the middle bar of the window-sash, in the +corner, and I 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 sparrow-life +upon them, and regarding every passer-by in the street, not in an +unhappy way, but apparently considering the whole a panorama for his +entertainment. When events in the room interested him, his post of +observation was a bracket that held a 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 effectively set off by the +dark paper behind him. + +Although thus immobile 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 a shelf next to that +occupied by two orchard orioles, and he was never pleased with the +position. He was hardly restless even there, while suffering what he +plainly considered a grievance, but he was uneasy. I saw that something +was wrong, and guessed at once that it was because his upper perch was +three inches lower than that in the next cage, and to have a neighbor +higher than himself is always an offense to a bird. As soon as I raised +his cage he was satisfied on that score, and no more disturbed me in the +early morning by shuffling about on his perch and trying to fly upward. + +But still things were not quite to his mind, and he showed it by +constantly going into the cage of the orioles and settling himself +evidently with the desire of taking up his residence there. He was so +gentle and unobtrusive everywhere, that no one resented his presence in +the cage, and he could have lived in peace with almost any bird. But I +wanted him contented at home, and moreover, I was curious to find out +what was amiss, so I tried the experiment of removing his cage from its +position next to the lively orioles, and hanging it alone between two +windows, where, although not so light, it had the advantage of solitude. +The change completed the happiness of the grosbeak. From that day he no +more intruded upon others, but went and came freely and joyously to his +own cage, and from being hard to catch at night he became one of the +most easy, proceeding the moment he entered his home toward dark to the +upper perch to wait for me to close the door before going to his +seed-dish. In fact, he grew so contented that he cared little to come +out, and often sat in his favorite corner of the cage by the hour, with +the door wide open and the other birds flying around. Now, too, he began +to sing in a sweet voice a very low and tender minor strain. + +Among his other peculiarities this bird scarcely ever seemed to feel +the need of utterance of any soft. On the rare occasions of any +excitement he delivered a sharp, metallic "click"; a sudden alarm, like +the attack of another bird, called out a war-cry loud and shrill, and +very odd; and in the contest over the important question of precedence +at the bath he sometimes uttered a droll squeal or whining sound. +Besides these, he made singular noises in bathing and dressing his +feathers, which are not uncommon among birds, but are difficult to +describe. They always remind me of the rubbing of machinery in need of +oil. + +This beautiful bird was not easily frightened; the only time I ever saw +him seriously disturbed was at the sight of a stuffed screech-owl, which +I brought into the room without thinking of its probable effect. I +placed it on a shelf in a closet, and I soon noticed that the moment the +closet door was opened the grosbeak became greatly agitated; he darted +across the room to a certain retreat where he always hurried on the +first alarm of any sort, and remained in retirement till the fancied +danger was over, while the others flew madly about. In this place he +stood posturing in much excitement, and uttering at short intervals his +sharp "click." For some time I did not understand his conduct, nor think +of connecting it with the owl on the shelf; but when it did occur to me +I tried the experiment of bringing it out into the room, when I +immediately saw, what I should have remembered at once, that it was an +object of terror to all the birds. + +The song of the rose-breasted grosbeak is celebrated, and I hoped my +bird would become acquainted with us, and let out his voice; but I was +disappointed in both respects, for he never became familiar in the +least, and though not at all afraid he was very shy; and furthermore, +upon my bringing into the room two small musical thrushes, the +grosbeak--feeling, as I said, no need of utterance--readily relapsed +into silence, and all the winter never sang a note. His conduct before +the looking-glass indicated that he was not naturally so silent, and +that he could be social with one who understood his language. Being +unable to get another grosbeak, I tried to give him companionship by +placing a small glass against one end of his cage. On seeing his +reflection the bird was greatly agitated, began his low, whining cry, +postured, bowed, turned, moved back and forth, and at last left the cage +and looked for the stranger behind the glass. Not finding him he +returned, had another interview with the misleading image, and ended as +before in seeking him outside. At length he seemed to be convinced that +there was something not quite natural about it, for, feeling hungry, he +went, with many a backward glance at the glass, to the floor, took a +hemp-seed and carried it out into the room to eat, a thing he never did +at any other time. + +I spoke of my bird's posturing; that was one of his pleasures, and +almost his only exercise while he lived in the house. He was not +graceful, his body was not flexible, and his tail was far from being the +expressive member it is with many birds, it always stood straight out; +he could raise it with a little jerk, and he had a beautiful way of +opening it like a fan, but I never saw it droop or stir in any other +way. In these movements his head and tail maintained the same relative +position to the body, as though they were cut out of one piece of wood; +but he bowed and leaned far over on one side, with his short legs wide +spread; he passed down a perch, alternately crouching and rising, either +sideways or straight; he jerked his whole body one side and then the +other, in a manner ludicrously suggestive of a wriggle; he sidled along +his perch, holding his wings slightly out and quivering, then slowly +raised them both straight up, and instantly dropped them, or held them +half open, fluttering and rustling his feathers. + +He had also a curious way of moving over a long perch: he proceeded by +sidewise hops, and at each hop he turned half round, that is, the first +step he faced the window, the next the room, the third the window again, +and so on to the end, coming down at every jump as though he weighed a +pound or two. He was much addicted to sitting with breast-feathers +puffed out covering his toes, or sometimes with wings held a little way +from his body, showing the delicate rose-colored lining, as though +conscious how pretty he looked; and among other eccentric habits he +often thrust out his tongue, first one side and then the other, +apparently to clean his bill. + +Bathing and getting dry was conducted by this peculiar bird in a manner +characteristic of himself. Slow to make the plunge, he was equally +deliberate in coming out of the bath. When fairly in, he first thrust +his head under, then sat up in the drollest way, head quite out of water +and tail lying flat on the bottom, while he spattered vigorously with +wings and tail. When he stepped out, the bath was over; he never +returned for a second dip, but passed at once to a favorite corner of +the window-bar, and stood there a most disconsolate-looking object, +shivering with cold, with plumage completely disheveled, but making not +the least effort to dry his feathers for several minutes. If the sun +shone, he indulged himself in a sunning, erecting the feathers of his +chin till he looked as if he wore a black muffler, opening his tail like +a fan, spreading and crossing his wings over the back. This attitude +made a complete change in his looks, showing white where black should +be, and _vice versa_. This was the result of his peculiar coloring. Next +the skin all feathers were the common slate-color, but outside of that +each feather was black and white. On the back the black was at the tip, +and the white between that and the slate-color; on the breast this order +was reversed, and the white at the tip. Thus when wet the white and +black were confused, and he resembled an object in patch-work. The +rose-colored shield was formed by the slightest possible tips of that +color on the white ends, and it was wonderful that they should arrange +themselves in an unbroken figure, with a sharply defined outline, for +each feather must have lain in its exact place to secure the result. + +The different ways in which birds greet advancing night has long been a +subject of interest to me, some restless and nervous, others calm, and a +few wild and apparently frightened. In no one thing is there more +individuality of action, and in my room that winter were exhibited every +evening quite a variety of methods. A brown thrush or thrasher on the +approach of darkness became exceedingly restless, flying about his +cage, going over and under and around his perches, posturing in +extraordinary ways, uttering at every moment a strange, harsh-breathing +sound. Two smaller thrushes met the evening hour by fluttering, and a +queer sort of dance elsewhere described. Two orchard orioles saluted the +twilight by gymnastics on the roof of the cage. The bluebirds made +careful and deliberate arrangements for a comfortable night, while the +grosbeak differed from all in simply fluffing himself out, and settling +himself, on the first hint of dark, in the chosen corner, whence he +scarcely moved, and as soon as objects grew indistinct he laid his head +quietly in its feather pillow and stirred no more. The brightest +gaslight an hour later did not disturb him; if a noise wakened him, he +simply looked up to see what was the matter, but did not move, and soon +turned back to his rest, when slight jerks of his wings, and faint +complaining sounds, told that he not only slept, but dreamed. + +The bearer of the rosy shield was a persistent individual; having once +taken a notion into his head, nothing would make him forget it or change +his mind. Fully settled in his preference for a certain perch on the +window, the coldest day in winter, with the wind blowing a gale through +the crack between the sashes, would not make him desert it. Driving him +away from the spot had not the slightest effect on him, he returned the +moment he was left in peace. Thinking that another cage was more +convenient for his use, nothing short of absolute shutting the door +would keep him out of it. Nor did he forget about it either; if the door +was accidentally left open, after being closed for weeks, he entered as +quickly as though he had been in every day. + +This bird never showed any playfulness of disposition; indeed, he had +too much dignity to do so. He never flew around the room as though he +liked to use his wings, although they were perfect, and there was +nothing to prevent if he chose. Nor did he display curiosity about his +surroundings. The only things he appeared to notice were the doings of +the birds and people in the room, and the moving panorama without, which +latter he always viewed with equanimity, although the sound of a +hand-organ aroused him to a sort of mild fury. + +As spring advanced, the beautiful grosbeak grew tuneful and often added +his exquisite song to the rippling music of the small thrushes, +and--with a little stretch of the imagination as to its duration-- + + "Trilled from out his carmine breast, + His happy breast, the livelong day." + + + + +THE BIRD OF MYSTERY. + + For me there is a mystery unrevealed; + Sweet Nature, speak to me! + + LUCY LARCOM. + + + + +XV. + +THE BIRD OF MYSTERY. + + +It is well that Nature has so carefully guarded the lives of her most +beautiful birds, for it is a sad fact that, in the words of an eminent +writer, "the winged order--the loftiest, the tenderest, the most +sympathetic with man--is that which man nowadays pursues most cruelly." +Had they been as accessible as sparrows, even although they equaled them +in numbers, not one would by this time be alive on earth. + +The family whose extraordinary dress and mystery of origin justify its +name--Birds of Paradise--is securely hidden in distant islands not +friendly to bird-hunting races. Inaccessible mountains and pathless +forests repel the traveler; impassable ravines bar his advance; sickness +and death lie in wait for the white man, while the native lurks with +poisoned dart behind every bush. + +The first of the race that came to us were heralded by myth and invested +with marvels: they had no feet; they slept upon the wing; they fed upon +dew, and hatched their eggs upon their backs. Such were the tales that +accompanied the skins, magnificent beyond anything known to the world in +the glory of plumage, and they were named Birds of Paradise. But science +is supposed in these days to conquer all mysteries, and science armed +itself with powder and shot, game bags, provision trains, and servants, +and set out for the far-away inhospitable islands, the home of this, the +most attractive of all. Science has solved many problems: the "Heart of +Africa" has become a highway; the Polar sea and the source of the Nile +are no longer unknown; but with her most persistent efforts during three +hundred years she has not yet been able to give us the life history of +this one feathered family. Many of her devotees have penetrated to its +home and brought back fresh varieties; money, health, and life have been +freely spent; but, save for a few strange and curious facts, we know +little more of the manner of life of the Birds of Paradise than we did +when we depended on the native legends. How some of them look we know; +we have their skins wired into shape in our museums and gorgeously +pictured in our books; but every traveler finds new kinds, and how many +sorts there may be which have so far eluded the few and short visits of +naturalists, no one is able to tell. Even of those we have, how scanty +is our knowledge! What they eat we are told; how they bathe and dress +their plumage; their loud calls and unmusical voices; the shyness of +those whose conspicuous beauty sets a price upon their heads, and their +"dancing parties," so graphically described by Wallace; but of their +nesting we are in profound ignorance. Where the gravely dressed partners +of the brilliant creatures set up the hearthstone none can tell, unless +it be the mop-headed Papuan, and he will not. + +The colors lavished on the plumage would alone make the Birds of +Paradise the wonder of the world; exquisite tints not surpassed by the +humming-birds themselves, and of almost infinite variety, from the +richest velvety purple to the gorgeous metallic greens, blues, and +yellows, changing with every motion, and glittering in the sun like +gems. But the marvelous freaks in the arrangement of the plumage are +more specially interesting. So extraordinary a variety of forms, so +unique and fantastic in disposal, are without parallel in the animal +world. Some species are adorned with long, drooping tufts of plumes +light as air, as the Red Bird of Paradise, and others bear +strange-shaped, movable shields; part of the family wear ruffs, and +others display fans on shoulders or breast; a few sport extravagant +length of tail, and one or two show bright-hued wattles; one species is +bare-headed, and--other vagaries being exhausted--two have curls. The +greater number have an unusual development of two or more feathers into +long, wire-like objects, with a patch of web at the ends. In one species +these wires are formed into two perfect circles beyond the end of the +tail; in another they cross each other in a graceful double curve, and +in a third stand straight and stiff from the end of the feathers. The +Sexpennis, or Golden Bird of Paradise, has on the head six of these +shafts, which it erects at pleasure, producing a singular appearance; +and the Standard Wing has two on each wing, equally effective. Perhaps +the most peculiar fact about the family is the power each bird possesses +to change its form by means of these eccentric ornaments. All are +erectile and movable in several ways, and a bird that is at one moment +like our common crow in shape, may in the next show a dazzling array of +waving plumes or vibrating fans, and be utterly unrecognizable for the +same creature. It is evident to all bird students that feathers are as +surely an "index of the mind" as are tails in cat and dog, and the +manners and expression of this family would be a study of absorbing +interest. + +Not to mention the birds already familiar in books, there are a few +interesting peculiarities of some of the late discoveries, and the +possible varieties are by no means exhausted, so that each new traveler +who penetrates into their chosen home will doubtless have opportunity to +see his own name Latinized into dignity and bestowed upon some brilliant +and hitherto unknown bird, having a new disposition of plumage, or a +color more beautiful--if conceivable--than any before. One of the most +attractive of the recent additions to the list was made by Signor +D'Albertis, and named for him _Drepanoris Albertisi_. In a letter to a +Sydney newspaper he tells the story of the discovery, which occurred +while he was living in a Papuan mansion built upon the trunks of trees, +and reached by means of a long ladder. From this unique residence he +made excursions into the mountains, and, among other things, had the +good fortune to see two curious episodes in the life of the Six-shafted +Bird of Paradise. He found this bird--which is not new to science--to be +a noisy and solitary fellow, roaming the thick woods alone, dining upon +figs and other fruits, and indulging in the strange habit of "dusting" +itself like a city sparrow. Happily he saw the whole operation. +Selecting a suitable spot, the beautiful bird first cleared away the +grass and leaves, and while the eager observer was wondering what all +this preparation portended, suddenly flung itself to the ground, and +rolled its rich plumage in the dust, fluttered the wings, elevated and +depressed the six plumes on its head, and otherwise appeared to enjoy +itself extremely. At another time the traveler witnessed a second +uncommon scene in the deep interior of the forest. A bird of the same +species alighted upon the ground, and after peering in every direction, +either to make sure of being unobserved, or to discover an enemy or a +friend, began a most singular performance, waving the six long plumes of +the head, raising and lowering a small tuft of silvery white feathers +over its beak, elevating a glittering crest on its neck, and spreading +and drawing back the long feathers on its sides, every movement entirely +changing its apparent shape. In a short time it began to jump from side +to side and to assume an attitude of war, and all the time it never +ceased uttering an uncommon note, as though calling for admiration or +for a fight. + +Not long after this curious exhibition followed the observer's great +prize, the _Drepanoris Albertisi_, which is so rare that even to many of +the natives it was a surprise. At the first glance this bird does not +appear to deserve a place in the remarkable family. It is about the size +of our common crow, brown on the back and lavender-gray below, with a +curved bill more than three inches long. But closer study reveals +several peculiarities: a bare space of bright blue around the eye, +brilliant green on the throat, and a pair of feathery tufts standing up +on the forehead like horns, with the crowning attraction of two pairs of +fans, one behind the other on each side of the breast, capable of being +folded smoothly against the body, or spread wide in two gorgeous +semicircles altering the entire outlines of the creature. The first of +the two admirable ornaments, when in repose, appears of the same +violet-gray hue as the breast; but when raised the bases of the feathers +are seen to be of a brilliant red, giving the effect of longitudinal +stripes. The second pair is much longer, with deep margins of splendid +purple instead of the stripes. When the possessor of all this splendor +spreads its four fans, it also erects the long tail and opens it widely +into a fifth fan, which produces an astonishing effect. + +Another of D'Albertis's contributions to the mysterious family is among +its most magnificent members, the _Paradisea Raggiana_. A fine specimen +of this genus, mounted in the position described by Wallace as the +"dancing" attitude of _P. Apoda_, the floating plumes elevated in a +"golden glory" above the head, is the gem of the collection in the +American Museum of New York. It resembles the Great Bird of Paradise, +having long, airy plumes springing from under each wing. In general +color golden brown, with yellow head and green throat. To this bird, as +to others, beauty is a dangerous possession; and, as if feeling aware of +the fact, it lives in the tops of tall trees, in the deepest forest, +among the most inaccessible ravines. But wary though it be, one +characteristic lures it to destruction--curiosity. A European hunter in +his unfamiliar dress is an irresistible attraction; nearer and nearer it +comes, hopping from branch to branch, pausing at every step to observe +and study the intruder, with neck stretched and wings flapping, every +moment uttering a peculiar cry, no doubt equivalent to "Come and look!" +for it brings others upon the scene, till the pretty sight is rudely +ended by a shot and a death-wound. The cry of distress brings the +friends nearer, only to fall victims in their turn to the same murderous +gun. Our traveler once surprised a female of this species, and a droll +proceeding followed. After flying several times around his head to see +what sort of a creature he might be, she alighted on a vine, and turning +heels over head, remained hanging head down, sharply scrutinizing his +appearance from this point of view till he--shot her. + +A bare-headed bird would not seem to present any attraction to the lover +of beauty, though it might be of scientific interest; but Nature, not +having exhausted her resources upon the Birds of Paradise already +mentioned, has even accomplished the feat of making a bald-headed +beauty. The bare skin on the whole crown is of a brilliant blue color +most oddly crossed by narrow rows of minute feathers, which irresistibly +remind one of the sutures of the human skull. That color shall not be +lacking, it bears, besides the blue of the head, black, straw color, +bright red, and green; and is further adorned with two very long central +tail feathers, which reach far beyond the rest of the tail, and return, +making a complete circle; a rare and lovely ornament. A good specimen is +among the later arrivals at the American Museum. + +The _Manucodia_ are the curly Birds of Paradise, and our knowledge of +one of the latest and most novel of them is owing not to the +indefatigable naturalists who have braved the dangers and discomfort of +their wild island home, neither to the English Wallace, the Dutch Von +Rosenburg, the Italian Beccari, nor to D'Albertis, nor Bruiju, nor De +Myer, whose names will be forever associated with the splendid family, +but to a British officer of scientific tastes. + +_M. Comrii_ is the largest, and has more curls than any other yet +discovered, for they not only decorate the top of the head, but extend +down the neck, and form ridges over the eyes. Even the tail partakes of +the general curve, which makes it boat-shaped, and--most fantastic of +all--the two middle feathers are nearly an inch shorter than their next +neighbors, and turned over at the ends so as to display the different +color of their inner surface, and form what ladies call "_revers_." + +"Such eccentricities are really not to be accounted for, as we cannot +conceive they can be for any useful purpose" (!), gravely says science +in the person of an English authority. This severely disapproved of +plumage is blue with green lights on back and head, and black edged on +every feather, with purple on the breast. + +Another species of the curly family, the Blue-green Paradise Bird (_M. +Chalybea_), has been known to us for a hundred years, but its habits +are as much a mystery as its curls. It is exquisite in color, of the +richest purple, glossy as satin, with neck of deep green, and all +crinkled and curled over head and neck. + +The Long-tailed Bird of Paradise is the proud possessor of twenty-two +names, from which it were hard to make a selection. It is one of the +largest, being twenty-two inches in length, most of which, however, is +tail, and is splendid in soft velvet-like black with hints of green and +blue and purple. On each side it carries a fan of curved feathers, and +the plumes of the flanks are of the lightest and most delicate texture. +Words cannot describe the grace and elegance of this bird, and the +perfect specimen in the museum above mentioned is worthy of a pilgrimage +to see. + +A "changeable" Bird of Paradise is the one remaining eccentricity +conceivable to complete the variety in coloring, and this is found in +the _Epimachus Ellioti_, a bird so rare that at the time Gould published +his first work the specimen in his collection was unique, and +naturalists in their excursions in the Papuan Islands have vainly tried +to discover its home and learn its habits. The whole incomparable +plumage is of rich changeable hues; in ordinary light, when perfectly +motionless, the bird appears of a soft black, but on moving about the +color varies from violet to maroon, from this to deep amethyst, and then +to green, purple, and blue. A most extraordinary effect is produced when +it faces the spectator with fan-plumes expanded, reaching so far above +its head that they look like a pair of arms thrown up. + +The most interesting though not the most beautiful of the family is the +Gardener bird, discovered a few years ago by the Italian naturalist +Beccari. Here is a Bird of Paradise eccentric not in dress but in +habits. His plumage is modest brown in several shades, so inconspicuous +that the partner of his joys can wear the same tints, which she does. +The bird is the size of a turtle-dove. Let the doctor himself tell the +story of the discovery while walking through the beautiful forest, so +thick that scarcely a ray of sunshine penetrated the branches. He says: + +"I suddenly stood before the most remarkable specimen of the industry of +an animal. It was a hut or bower close to a small meadow enameled with +flowers. The whole was on a diminutive scale, and I immediately +recognized the famous nests described by the hunters of Bruiju. After +well observing the whole I gave strict orders to my hunters not to +destroy the little building. That, however, was an unnecessary caution, +since the Papuans take great care never to disturb these nests or +bowers, even if they are in their way. The birds had evidently enjoyed +the greatest quiet until we happened, unfortunately for them, to come +near them. I had now full employment in the preparation of my +treasure.... I took colors and brushes, and went to the spot, and made +the sketch which I now publish. When I was there neither host nor +hostess was at home.... I could not ascertain whether this bower was +occupied by one pair or more, whether the male alone is the builder, or +whether the wife assists. I believe, however, that the nest lasts +several seasons." + +The pleasing description of the house and lawn, with its many +decorations, has been widely copied. "Being mostly near the entrance," +says the grave scientist in conclusion, surprised into sentiment, "it +would appear that the husband offers there the daily gift to the wife, +removing the objects to the back of the hut as they fade or wither." It +is clever not only in building a house and lawn, but in imitating the +songs and cries of other birds, and doing it so well, according to our +author, that it brought "his hunters to despair." + +So few Birds of Paradise have entered the scientific world alive, and so +little is known of their manners, that the meagre accounts we have +possess unusual interest. So long ago as early in the century Mr. +Bennett, in his visit to Macao, wrote a statement of the ways of a Great +Bird of Paradise (_P. Apoda_) which had been at that time in confinement +nine years. His description of the toilet of the most exquisite of birds +is delightful. + +"It washes itself regularly twice daily, and after having performed its +ablutions, throws its delicate feathers up nearly over the head.... The +beautiful subalar plumage is then thrown out and cleaned from any spot +that may sully its purity by being passed gently through the bill, the +short chocolate-colored wings are extended to the utmost, and he keeps +them in a steady flapping motion, at the same time raising up the +delicate long feathers over the back, which are spread in a chaste and +elegant manner, floating like films in the ambient air. In this position +the bird would remain for a short time, seemingly proud of its heavenly +beauty. I never yet beheld a soil on its feathers. After expanding the +wings it would bring them together so as to conceal the head, then +bending gracefully it would inspect the state of its plumage +underneath.... It then picks and cleans its plumage in every part within +reach, and throwing out the elegant and delicate tuft of feathers +underneath, they are cleaned in succession, if required, by throwing +them abroad, elevating and passing them in succession through the bill. +Then turning its back to the spectators, the actions above mentioned are +repeated, ... and throwing its feathers up with much grace, appears as +proud as a lady dressed in her full ball dress"(!). After further +account of its taking grasshoppers from visitors, he concludes: "Should +any of the insects fall to the floor of his cage he will not descend to +them, appearing to be fearful that in so doing he should soil his +delicate plumage." + +Almost equally charming is Mr. Bennett's observation of one that Wallace +carried alive to London, which lived two years there and became +exceedingly tame. It is this species whose dancing parties Wallace thus +describes:-- + +"On one of these trees a dozen or twenty full-plumaged male birds +assemble, raise their wings vertically over the back, stretch out their +necks, and raise and expand their exquisite long plumes till they form +two magnificent golden fans, which are kept in continual vibration. +Between whiles they fly across from branch to branch in great +excitement, so that the whole tree is filled with waving plumes in every +variety of attitude and motion. In the position above mentioned the +whole bird is overshadowed by his plumage, the crouching body, yellow +head, and emerald green throat form but the foundation and setting to +the golden glory which waves above. Seen in this attitude the Bird of +Paradise really deserves its name, and must be ranked as one of the most +beautiful and most wonderful of living things." + +In truth, it is so transcendently beautiful that hunters have been +astonished into forgetfulness of their guns, and no triumph was ever +greater, for to recognize an attractive creature and lift the gun to +take its life seems to be a single operation of many who carry the +murderous weapon. + +The Twelve-wired, one of the better known varieties of the Birds of +Paradise, is usually figured, and probably always mounted, with its +exquisite plumes closely folded against its sides, but the French +naturalist and traveler Le Vaillant, in his large work published early +in the century, gives a representation of it under the name of _Le +Nebuleux_, with feathers expanded to the uttermost, a truly magnificent +display. All his figures, though sometimes incorrect, owing to the +scanty knowledge of the time, have a great deal of life. Each bird is +presented both in repose, with plumage all folded smoothly back, and in +excitement, with every fan and ruff and erectile ornament fully spread. + +This peerless family takes kindly to captivity, as has been amply proved +by their enduring the voyage and living two years in the unfavorable +climate of England, as well as by spending at least nine years in an +aviary in China, and there is no reason why we in America should not +have opportunity to admire them and study their habits from life. Would +that some of our young explorers could be induced to turn from the +ice-fields of the Poles, and the death-swamps of the Tropics, to seek +these inimitable birds in the mountains and woods of the Papuan +Islands--not to shoot for our museum shelves, but to study their manners +and customs, and above all to introduce them into American aviaries, +that a new and absorbing chapter might be added to our Natural +Histories, and the Bird of Paradise cease to be the Bird of Mystery. + + + + +INDEX. + + + African Parrot and Mocking-Bird, 90. + + + Baltimore Oriole. + pursue a blackbird, 4. + baby ways, 9. + attacked by robin, 10. + an unnatural baby, 11. + one at a time, 11. + the father as drudge, 12. + visited by the Cardinal, 215. + + Bird of Paradise, 253. + where found, 253. + mythical stories of, 253. + dancing parties, 255. + colors, 255. + arrangement of plumage, 255. + Red Bird of, 255. + Golden, 256. + Standard-wing, 256. + change of form, 256. + feathers an index of the mind, 256. + interesting new discoveries, 257. + Signor d'Albertis, 257. + Six-shafted, 257. + dusting itself, 258. + curious scene, 258. + a rare bird, 259. + description of, 259. + another new one, 259. + specimen in N. Y. Museum, 260. + description of _P. Raggiana_, 260. + danger of beauty, 260. + a bare-headed bird, 261. + _Manucodia_, 261. + _M. Comrii_, 262. + _M. Chalybea_, 262. + Long-tailed, 263. + changeable, 263. + _Epimachus Ellioti_, 263. + the Gardener bird, 264. + description of nest, 264. + a clever builder, 265. + manners of _P. Apoda_, 266. + toilet, 266. + dancing parties, 267. + twelve-wired, 268. + Le Vaillant's work, 268. + + Birds. + home affairs of, 3. + dangers in nest, 5. + hard work of, 15. + training the young, 15. + study of, 16. + cruel pursuit of, 239. + at twilight, 247. + + Bluebird, 97. + attitude and manners, 97. + attitude and manners, female, 98. + defending her spouse, 98. + standing guard, 98. + defending the young, 99. + after the mocking-bird, 99. + unsafe nest, 99. + tragedy in the family, 100. + consoling his mate, 100. + an affectionate pair, 101. + motherly affection, 102. + arrangements for sleep, 102. + queer little talk with me, 103. + talk together, 104-106. + staring at nothing, 104. + his mate disapproves, 106. + difference in intelligence, 107. + demanding meal-worms, 107. + expressing themselves, 107. + learning by experience, 108. + fond of worms, 108. + trick on a scarlet tanager, 108. + bathing, 109. + bewitching dance, 109. + sunning himself, 109. + feathering out, 110. + growing belligerent, 110. + courtship, 110. + he presents a worm, 110. + refusing to share, 111. + feeding through wires, 112. + change in the song, 112. + set free, 112. + attacked by sparrows, 112. + baby ways, 13. + bringing food to young, 47. + + Blue Jay, 175. + driving corks, 175. + hammering, 175. + destructiveness, 176. + holes in the matting, 176. + ornamenting books, 177. + pounding upward, 177. + hiding things, 177. + his regular business, 178. + clearing up the room, 178. + setting off matches, 179. + odd hiding-places, 179. + in my hair, 180. + intelligent interest, 180. + likes and dislikes, 180-191. + showing fight, 181. + war upon the baby, 181. + expression of affection, 181. + curiosity, 182. + jumping, 183. + queer way of alighting, 183. + bird of opinions, 183. + scolding the rain, 184. + strange noises, 184. + song, 184. + stamping his feet, 184. + in anger, 184. + peaceful among the birds, 185. + timid, 185. + afraid of falling, 185. + a jay-baby cry, 185. + fond of music, 186. + attended to business, 187. + talking to me, 187. + his demon of work, 187. + in his vindication, 187. + knew what he wanted, 191. + human society, 191. + tokens of affection, 192. + love, 193. + ice-cream and cake, 193. + hiding his candy, 193. + next in favor, 193. + difference in treatment, 193. + curious dance, 194. + missed his frolics, 194. + calling his playmate, 194. + treatment of a young lady, 195. + treatment of a youth, 195. + treatment of the head of the household, 195. + treatment of a maid, 195. + afraid of a trap, 195. + a wise bird, 196. + cutting a wire, 196. + loosening a rubber band, 196. + a troublesome pet, 196. + on my desk, 196. + a cure for hammering, 196. + learning to get under the cover, 197. + prying into packages, 197. + the waste basket, 198. + after the photographs, 198. + on the door, 198. + flying out, 198. + the open window, 199. + learning to outwit him, 199. + the other birds no society, 199. + surprising his neighbors, 199. + the room in a panic, 200. + excitement over a grasshopper, 200. + the oriole takes a hand, 200. + afraid of a tree, 200. + hiding the needles, 202. + bathing, 202. + beauty of plumage, 202. + + Brazilian Cardinal, 232. + + + Cardinal Grosbeak, or Virginia C., 207. + colors, 207. + her first admirer, 208. + his first call, 208. + a mind of her own, 209. + his mistake, 209. + reproaching her, 209. + violent wooing, 210. + the obnoxious door, 210. + the window, 210. + exploring the room, 211. + calling on the robin, 211-214. + war declared upon her, 211. + the window problem, 212. + lord-and-master, 212. + curious performance, 212. + hostilities, 213. + jealousy, 214. + the looking-glass, 214. + calling on the tanager, 214. + the bath, 214. + calling on the orioles, 215. + beginning to sing, 215. + a queer game, 215. + war again, 216. + death of the persecutor, 216. + Virginia relieved, 216. + expression of crest, 216. + a week's peace, 217. + arrival of a stranger, 217. + Virginia not pleased, 217. + the second suitor goes, 218. + left alone, 218. + set free, 219. + the successful wooer, 219. + difficulty, studies under, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30. + + Golden-winged Woodpecker, or Flicker, 115. + in search of a nest, 115. + heavy flight, 116. + out of a bird store, 117. + excessively wild, 117. + getting acquainted, 117. + peeping out, 118. + expressing emotion, 118. + in despair, 118. + holes in the wall, 118. + learning to eat, 118. + peculiar attitudes, 119. + sleeping, 119. + restlessness, 119. + taking naps, 120. + a heavy sleeper, 120. + dreaming, 120. + hanging himself, 121. + expression of sentiments, 121. + the door opened, 121. + running about the floor, 121. + intelligence, 121. + exploring the room, 121. + investigating the nails, 122. + visiting his neighbors, 122. + up the ladder, 122. + teasing the goldfinch, 123. + down the ladder, 123. + stepping down backward, 123. + going home, 124. + asking to be let out, 124. + suddenly familiar, 124. + child-like disposition, 124. + a silent bird, 124. + a strange song, 125. + an extraordinary display, 125. + the baby of the family, 126. + position of rest, 127. + flicker talk, 127. + + Goldfinch, 72, 152, 157. + + + Mocking-Bird. + baby ways, 13. + study of, 23. + way of singing, 25-44. + fables about, 30-31. + nest, 35. + domestic relations, 36. + home in a pine grove, 37. + wooing, 38. + dance, 39. + love or war? 41. + house hunting, 41. + building in a storm, 42. + on the winding stairs, 43. + belligerent, 44. + a call on his spouse, 45. + frolic on the grass, 45. + nest in the cedar, 45. + the youngsters out, 46. + feeding the babies, 46. + the baby cry, 47. + parental anxiety, 48, 50, 55. + madam remonstrates, 48. + telling the news, 49. + out of the nest, 50. + looks and manners of the infant, 50, 51, 53. + a lively youngster, 52. + an ignominious flop, 53. + baby number two, 53. + refuses to move on, 53. + thieves--black and white, 54. + behavior of a young singer, 54. + had his own way, 55. + number three neglected, 55. + the cry-baby, 56. + peculiar hops, 56. + a curious performance, 57. + the nest, 57. + movements, 58, 59. + lifting the wings, 60. + disposition, 60. + quarrel, 61. + attack on a crow, 61. + song, 62, 63. + as imitator, 63. + + Mocking-Bird in the house. + mocking, 67. + intelligence, 67. + taking notes, 68. + choice of colors, 68. + enjoyment of liberty, 69. + reason, 69. + warmed by a lamp, 69. + quiet observation, 70. + submitting to imposition, 70. + out of the cage, 70. + studying surroundings, 71. + the pin-cushion, 71. + looking-glass, 71. + settling his position, 72. + the English goldfinch, 72. + driven away from the bath, 73. + the feathers flew, 74. + scene between goldfinch and, 74. + insulted by a thrush, 75. + dispute over the bath, 75. + worrying the Mexican, 77. + with the wood thrush, 78. + quarrel over the apple, 78. + a war dance, 79. + settling the thrush, 80. + end of the apple contest, 81. + decides to remove, 81. + teasing the thrush, 83. + graceful attack, 83. + a change of tactics, 84. + a determined enemy, 85. + gracefulness, 85. + bewitching ways, 86. + expression of feathers, 86. + the looking-glass, 87. + manner of dressing, 89. + lifting the wings, 89. + steel pen, 89. + attack on the parrot, 90. + never startled, 91. + caught under a shawl, 91. + mad frolics, 92. + fury of play, 92. + reducing the finch to silence, 93. + mischief, not malice, 93. + + Mexican thrush, 77, 83. + + + Nonpareil, 28. + + Nuthatch baby ways, 12. + visited by orioles, 138. + + + Orchard Orioles, 131. + characteristics, 131, 132. + persistent singers, 131. + making themselves conspicuous, 132. + annoying ways, 132. + shouting the news, 133. + trouble in the family, 133. + plumage, 133, 134. + two suitors to one maid, 134. + he will have his way, 134. + she flew for her life, 134. + voice of female, 135. + beauty of female, 135. + restless manners, 135. + a war dance, 136. + an anti-climax, 137. + a meek damsel, 137. + inquisitive, 138. + visiting the mocking-bird's nest, 138. + visiting nuthatches, 138. + interested in me, 139. + the crisis, 139. + nesting time begun, 139. + matters settled, 140. + the honeymoon, 140. + submitting to the inevitable, 140. + nest building, 140. + precipitate wooing, 141. + grumbling husbands, 141. + a feathered thief, 142. + the end was not yet, 142. + with a grasshopper, 201. + + + Pewee, baby ways, 15. + learning to hover, 16. + + Plover, 24. + + Purple Crow Blackbird. + in trouble, 4. + launching the infants, 5. + blackbird babies, 7. + + + Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 239. + dress; characters, 239. + manner of eating, 240. + about the room, 240. + a creature of habit, 240. + intelligence, 241. + had his own opinion, 241. + change of place, 242. + contented and happy, 242. + a silent bird, 243. + queer noises, 243. + disturbed by an owl, 243. + song, 244-249. + the looking-glass, 244. + posturing, 245. + curious movements, 246. + bathing, 246. + color, 247. + night, 248. + never playful, 249. + + Robin baby ways, 14, 47. + + Robin called in by Cardinal, 211-214. + + + Scarlet Tanager and English Goldfinch, 224. + dress and manners, 224. + parties to the friendship, 224. + dislike to confinement, 224. + coming out, 225. + the window glass, 226. + the finch flies at him, 226. + giving up the world, 227. + dislike to be looked at, 227. + first sign of friendship, 228. + the smallest bird, 228. + progress of the friendship, 228. + the tanager's boundary, 229. + becoming protector, 229. + beginning to talk, 229. + perching outside, 230. + around the room, 231. + in a strange cage, 231. + on the floor, 231. + driving the Brazilian, 232. + the robin interferes, 232. + the finch goes for him, 233. + a new roof, 233. + the mischievous robin, 234. + approach of spring, 234. + offensive operations, 235. + anxious to go, 235. + belligerent, 235. + set free, 236. + the deserted lover, 236. + called on by cardinal, 214. + + Snowy Heron, 23. + + + Tern, 24. + + Thrasher, or Brown Thrush, 147. + restlessness, 147. + use of feet, 148. + erratic movements, 149. + way of approach, 149. + sensational manners, 150. + bathing, 150. + waltzing around the bath, 150. + excitement of the bath, 151. + mischievousness, 152. + teasing the finch, 152. + tearing paper, 152. + with a newspaper, 153. + the magazines, 153. + hammering, 153. + jumping, 153. + intelligence, 154. + talking back, 154. + expression of wings, 154. + littleness of body, 155. + the song, 155. + in the twilight, 156, 247. + strange movements, 156. + watching others, 157. + in the spring, 157. + + Thrushes. + gray-cheeked, 161. + song of, 162. + Wilson's, 162. + wonderful song, 162. + whisper songs, 162. + difference in character, 163. + bewitching dance, 163. + use of feet, 164. + excitement, 165. + a different dance, 165. + bathing, 165, 166. + the bird in the glass, 166. + alighting places, 167. + enjoying a swing, 167. + a snug retreat, 167. + tearing papers, 168. + lonely disposition, 169. + belligerent, 169. + set free, 169. + surprise of freedom, 170. + a call from a neighbor, 170. + farewell to the Gray-cheeked, 171. + + Thrush baby ways, 8, 78, 80, 85. + + + Yellow-throated baby ways, 8. + + + + +OUT-DOOR BOOKS + +Selected from the Publications of + +Houghton, Mifflin and Company, + +_4 Park St., Boston; 11 East 17th St., New York._ + + * * * * * + +Adirondack Stories. 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