HE APPEARED TO REASON. 69 



Liberty the mocking-bird emphatically en- 

 joyed, and at once recognized a string attached 

 to his door as a device to deprive him of it ; 

 after vainly trying to pick it apart, he betook 

 himself to another cage, and refused to go back 

 to his own. In any strange cage he stood 

 quietly while I walked up to him, and made no 

 attempt to leave his quarters, knowing perfectly 

 well that I did not care to shut the door upon 

 him ; but when at home I could not lift my 

 hands, or make the slightest movement, with- 

 out causing him to dart out of the cage in- 

 stantly. Having contention with his room- 

 mates about the bits of apple put out for all to 

 enjoy, he often carried away a piece to eat at 

 his leisure. From habit he flew first to the top 

 of a cage, that being his favorite perching place ; 

 but he evidently appreciated that, if he dropped 

 the morsel, he should lose it through the wires ; 

 and after looking one side and the other, plainly 

 satisfying himself of this fact, he went to the 

 table with it. I never before saw a bird who 

 did not have to learn the treacherous nature of 

 cage roofs by experience. He appeared to work 

 things out in his mind, — to reason, in truth. 

 One cold morning in spring, when the furnace 

 fire was out, a large, brilliant lamp was put by 

 his cage to take off the chill, for he felt changes 

 keenly. He seemed to understand it at once, 



