80 ''TRICKS AND MANNERS'' OF A CAT- BIRD. 



bends when a penny is placed in it, and drops 

 the coin into the vest pocket, the head making 

 a bow of thanks. The cat-bird had great ex- 

 citement over this object. He approached it 

 in his wary manner, ready to fly instantly if it 

 moved. Apparently he did not admire the 

 stretched-out hand, and after studying it a mo- 

 ment he gave it a savage peck. It yielded, 

 and he flew away. But he was not satisfied, 

 and in a few moments returned. This time he 

 tried the open pocket, probing it with his bill, 

 and becoming at last so excited that he deliv- 

 ered a furious blow on the hand, which the 

 figure politely acknowledged with a bow. The 

 bird disappeared instantl}^, and gave the strange 

 moving thing a full half hour's study from the 

 cornice before he returned to the table. When 

 he finally left it, however, he was perfectly sat- 

 isfied that it was not alive, for he never touched 

 or looked at it again. 



At another time he saw his bath-tub, a tin 

 dish, standing upon a pitcher. He alighted on 

 the edge. It was so poised that it shook and 

 rattled. The bird flew in a panic to the top of 

 a cornice, his usual place of refuge, and closely 

 watched the pan while it jarred back and forth 

 several times. Apparently seeing that it was a 

 harmless motion, he again flew down to the 

 same spot ; and the rattle and shake did not 



