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better of a Turk. This seems to have been a bad neighb xirhood to live 

 in, for, a month or so later, when the downies had moved out and 

 rented their cottage to that trim little housewife Jenny Wren, she, too, 

 got into trouble with a couple of marauding English Sparrows, who 

 forced an entrance and destroyed everything eatable in the house. The 

 neighbours all gathered round and chirped their sympathy in loud and 

 distressed voices. There were the gaily dressed Yellow Warblers, and 

 Goldfinches, the Cedar Waxwings in their olive-brown silks with the 

 yellow trimmings, a lone Catbird^n his sober slate-coloured coat, and 

 even a tiny Ruby-throat came buzzing along and perched on a dead 

 twig to see what was the matter. All agreed that it was dreadful, 

 but that it really could not be helped, and besides it was 

 none of their business. Even landlord Down) when he arrived 

 could not make up his mind that he would be strictly within his leo-al 

 rights in using that murderous looking dagger, which he always carries 

 round with him, for the protection of his tenants, or the punishment of 

 their assailants. Turning now to a pleasanter phase of this unconscious 

 imitation of human traits, one of the most striking instances of affection 

 between birds that have come under my notice was that displayed by a 

 pair of Cedar Waxwings, or as they are sometimes called, Cherry-birds. 

 It was at the time when the fruit was beginning to form on the trees, 

 and one of them had picked up an apple about the size of a large pea 

 and perching close beside his mate in an old apple tree, he passed it 

 with a great display of politeness and affection to her, and she with an 

 equally courtly and loving air returned it to him. This operation they 

 repeated several times, till at last they caught sight of two interlopers 

 who had been watching them, and being too bashful to continue their 

 billing in public, they flew away. Burroughs I think cites a similar 

 case with reference to the same bird. 



Curiosity is another characteristic, many of the birds have in com- 

 mon with the human race. I remember being interviewed by a Water 

 Thrush, while standing quite still in a swampy piece of woods, watch- 

 ing for another bird. This shy little warbler came hopping 

 along from branch to branch till it was within two feet of my 

 face, looked me full in the eyes, took a careful survey of me 

 from head to foot and then, as if satisfied with the inspection, flew away. 



