A HASTY TOILET. 89 



with which many birds pass away the dull hours, 

 is an occupation in which the mocking-bird 

 never had time to indulge. He was a bird of 

 affairs ; he had too much on his mind for loi- 

 tering. A few sudden, thorough shakes, a rapid 

 snatching of the wing and tail feathers through 

 the beak, or, after a bath, a violent beating the 

 air with both wings while holding tightly to the 

 perch with his feet, sufficed for his toilet. 

 Notwithstanding his apparent carelessness, his 

 plumage was soft and exquisite in texture, and 

 when wet the downy breast feathers matted to- 

 gether and hung in locks, like hair. Through a 

 common magnifying glass each tiny barbule 

 was seen to be ringed with gray and silvery 

 white, so finely that the rings could hardly be 

 seen. 



The most beautiful and peculiar attitude this 

 bird assumed was when conducting an attack 

 upon a small object. Seeing one day a steel 

 pen-point black with ink, he stood before it at a 

 respectful distance, and raised both wings over 

 his back till they almost touched each other, 

 holding the tail on one side. In two or three 

 seconds he lowered the wings a moment, then 

 raised them again, while his tail leaned the other 

 side. After half a dozen such feints he deliv- 

 ered a gentle peck, and instantly hopped back 

 out of the way. Seeing that it did not move, he 



