78 OVER THE APPLE. 



repeated, and the mischievous bird continued 

 the annoyance until his victim was exhausted, 

 panting, and in great excitement. From that 

 day the Mexican gave up the contest with his 

 too lively antagonist, and refused to come out 

 of his cage at all ; so that in fact the stranger 

 reduced the colony to submission. 



With the wood-thrush, the encounters dif- 

 fered from both the preceding. This bird had 

 opened hostilities when the mocker first ap- 

 peared, presuming on being the older resident, 

 and the only bird who cared much to be on the 

 floor. The disputed object, as already men- 

 tioned, was the apple, which they received on 

 the matting, two pieces being placed at some 

 distance apart. Seeing the thrush engaged 

 with one, the mocking-bird quietly dropped to 

 the other, when instantly the thrush deserted 

 his own, ran hastily across the room, and 

 claimed that piece. As he approached, the 

 mocking-bird lifted himself into the air by a 

 beautiful and graceful movement; he did not 

 seem to fly, but to simply rise on wing. The 

 thrush being occupied with that piece, the 

 new-comer descended upon the abandoned slice ; 

 but the inhospitable bird wanted that also. 

 Even when three or more pieces were at their 

 disposal, the thrush tried to monopolize them 

 all, though the plan of collecting them in one 



