STRANGE PLACES TO ALIGHT. 167 



places to alight on, and was quite ingenious in 

 finding them. The ornamental top of a gas- 

 fixture a few inches below the ceiling, which 

 was cup-shaped and nearly hid him, was a fa- 

 vorite place. So was also the loose edge of a 

 hanging card-board map which, having been 

 long rolled, hung out from the wall like a half- 

 open scroll. This he liked best, for no other 

 bird ever approached it, and here he passed 

 much time swinging, as if he enjoyed the mo- 

 tion which he plainly made efforts to keep up. 

 His plan was to fly across the room and alight 

 suddenly upon it, when, of course it swayed up 

 and down with his weight. The moment it 

 came to a rest, he flew around the room in a 

 wide circle and came down again heavily, hold- 

 ing on with all his might, and keeping his bal- 

 ance with wings and tail. He enjoyed it so 

 well that he often swung for a long time. 



Later he found another snug retreat where 

 no bird ever intruded. He discovered it in this 

 way : one day, on being suddenly startled by 

 an erratic dash around the room of the brown 

 thrush, which scattered the smaller birds like 

 leaves before the wind, he brought up under 

 the bed on the floor. The larger bird had evi- 

 dently marked the place of his retreat, for he 

 followed him, and in his mad way rushed under 

 when the gray-cheeked disappeared. The bed- 



