220 BIRDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN 



feet distant. One very apparent charac- 

 teristic was its lifting the tail and then 

 slowly lowering it after the manner of the 

 hermit thrush. This, it was found, it con- 

 stantly did, as it was viewed day after day 

 thereafter. Whether the bird ran upon the 

 ground, which it proved it much frequented, 

 or sat upon a bough, at brief intervals this 

 tail-action was manifested. And the tail 

 was usually spread somewhat wider at the 

 tip than at the base, thus presenting to 

 some extent a fan-like form. 



When on the ground it was seen to cast 

 aside the fallen leaves with its bill in the 

 search for food as a brown thrasher is 

 wont to do, first on one side and then on the 

 other. And on a few occasions there was a 

 momentary scratching action of both feet 

 together after the manner of a fox spar- 

 row. When a flight was taken, it was at 

 rather low range, and all perches were upon 

 the lower boughs of trees; no disposition 

 was shown to climb higher than perhaps 

 ten feet. 



On the second morning it was seen, 



