HANGING HIMSELF UP. 121 



hanging against the side of his cage on the 

 support spoken of above. Not only did he 

 sleep in that position, but dress his plumage, 

 turning his head back over his body and sides, 

 and even arranging the feathers of his breast, 

 each one by itself, with scrupulous care. Like 

 many others this bird objected to having his 

 cage used as a perch by his neighbors. He 

 expressed his sentiments by quick jerks, first of 

 the shoulders and then of the whole body, and 

 if the intruder did not take the hint, he opened 

 his enormous bill and took hold of a stray toe, 

 which usually drove away the most imperti- 

 nent. 



The door of the cage was opened to my cap- 

 tive as soon as he became quiet and happy 

 within it. After his first surprise and dismay 

 at finding himself in the big world again, he 

 enjoyed it very much. Being unable to fly 

 through the loss of some wing feathers, his cage 

 was placed on the floor, and he ran in and out 

 at pleasure. He was more than usually intelli- 

 gent about it, too ; for although the door was 

 small, and he had to lower his head to pass 

 through, he was never at a loss for an instant. 



One thing that shows a bird's characteristics 

 and that I have never seen any two do in ex- 

 actly the same way, is to explore a room when 

 first released from a cage. This bird, like his 



