86 " TRICKS AND MANNERS'' OF A CAT-BIRD. 



succeeded in convincing his tormentor that the 

 top of his house was not a public highway. 



Worse than all his other misdeeds, however, 

 was a deliberate insult he paid to the cardinal's 

 singing. This ardent musician was one day sit- 

 ting down on his perch, as he is fond of doing, 

 and singing away for dear life, when the cat- 

 bird alighted on the window-sash, close by the 

 cage. The singer kept his eye on him, but 

 proceeded with the music till the end of the 

 strain, when, as usual, he paused. At that in- 

 stant the cat-bird gave his tail one upward 

 jerk, as if to say, " Humph ! " I noticed the 

 insulting air, but I was surprised to see that the 

 cardinal appreciated it, also. He began again 

 at once, in much louder tone, rising to his feet, 

 — which he rarely does, — lifting his crest, 

 swaying back and forth in a perfect rage, glar- 

 ing at his enemy, and pouring out his usual 

 song in such a flood of shrieks and calls that 

 even the calm cat-bird was disturbed, and dis- 

 creetly retired to the opposite window. Then 

 the cardinal seated himself again, and stopped 

 his song, but gave vent to his indignation in a 

 most energetic series of sharp " tsips " for a 

 long time. 



Quite different is the cat-bird's treatment of 

 two English goldfinches. On them he plays 

 jokes, and his mischievous delight and his 



