66 IN THE CAT-BIRD'S NOOK. 



will break his bill. A bit of apple treated by 

 him is full of minute stabs or gashes like dag- 

 ger thrusts. His manner, however, is not one 

 of vulgar curiosity, but always of philosophical 

 inquiry into the nature of substances, and his 

 look is as grave and thoughtful as though he 

 were studying some of the problems of human 

 or bird life. 



He has also a sense of humor. I had the for- 

 tune to see from my own window in the city an 

 amusing exhibition of this quality. Hearing 

 the sweet song of a cat-bird, I seized an opera- 

 glass and looked over the neighboring yards till 

 I found him perched on the roof of a pigeon- 

 house, singing with great energy. Several 

 pigeons were also on the roof, and seemed 

 interested in the stranger entertaining them, 

 stupidly — in pigeon fashion — walking about 

 and looking at him, turning their heads from 

 side to side in their mincing way. Suddenly, 

 in the middle of a burst of song, the minstrel 

 darted like a flash among them (evidently for 

 pure fun, for he did not touch one of them) and 

 returned instantly to his song. Wild panic, 

 however, seized the pigeons, and although he 

 was a mere atom among them, they flew every 

 way, and would have shrieked with terror had 

 they been able. 



Then the sparrows began to observe him. 



