A WINTER BIRD-STUDY. 55 



garies ; however warm the room, and however 

 brightly the sun may shine, he keeps his plum- 

 age well down on his body. 



Excitement and indignation are well and 

 completely expressed by this bird, with wings 

 and tail ; the former emotion by short, sharp, 

 upward jerks of the tail ; the latter by equally 

 energetic movements of both wings and tail. 

 By jerk of the wings I mean lifting them 

 slightly and bringing them down suddenly. 

 His meaning is as plain as though he spoke. 



The gait of the thrush is usually a hop ; 

 long hops from two to three feet in extent when 

 in haste, and short ones on ordinary occasions. 

 If feeling particularly well he will give an ex- 

 aggerated little hop w^hen wishing to move one 

 inch forward, which is very pretty and grace- 

 ful to see. When he carries a burden he walks 

 or runs, holding his head well forward. If he 

 succeeds in abstracting a thread from my waste- 

 basket, he runs off with it in a most comical 

 way. 



The sounds my bird gives utterance to have 

 no great variety ; the above mentioned " s-e-e-p,'' 

 like an insect noise, with closed bill, when 

 greatly pleased, as during the bath ; also when 

 troubled, as by a piece of food too large to 

 swallow ; a louder, rich-toned " Chook I chook ! 

 chook ! " when much excited and impatient ; 



