WRAPPED IN FURS. 213 



squawks and cat-calls of the loudest and most 

 plebeian sort. At the first sound of this vulgar 

 tirade the imperial bird was silent, scorning to 

 use his exquisite voice in so low company; 

 while the jay, in no whit abashed, filled the 

 room with the uproar till some one entered, 

 when he instantly ceased. 



The regularity of the clarin's bath has been 

 mentioned ; he dried himself, if possible, in the 

 sunshine. Even in this he had his own way, 

 which was to raise every feather on end ; the 

 delicate tips rose on his crown, the neck plumage 

 stood out like a ruff, the tail spread, and the 

 wings hung away from the body. In this atti- 

 tude, he looked as if wrapped in exquisite furs 

 from his small beak to his slender black legs. 

 He shared with all thrushes a strange restless- 

 ness on the approach of evening. First he 

 moved back and forth on one perch with a glid- 

 ing motion, his body crouched till the breast 

 almost touched the perch, tail standing up, and 

 wings quivering. Then he became quiet, and 

 uttered his call for some time, and soon after 

 settled for the night, sleeping well and even 

 dreaming, as was evident from the muffled 

 scraps of song and whispered calls that came 

 from his cage. 



This bird has all the sensitiveness of an artis- 

 tic temperament, and one can readily believe 



