THE TANAGER ASTONISHED. 225 



and they would go out to certain death. My 

 hope was to make them contented through the 

 winter, while they put on a new suit of feath- 

 ers, and open the doors for them in summer. 



The subject of this tale, and the last of the 

 series, I procured of a dealer who has learned 

 to keep tanagers in good condition, and I never 

 had trouble with this bird's health or spirits. 

 It was not until May that he wished to leave 

 me. When he joined the circle in the room he 

 had just thoroughly learned that a cage was a 

 place he could not get out of, and he had ceased 

 to try. The first morning when his neighbors 

 came out of their cages he was as much aston- 

 ished as if he had never seen birds out of a 

 bird store. He stretched up and looked at 

 them with the greatest interest. When one 

 or two began to splash in the large shallow 

 bathing dishes on the table, he was much 

 excited, and plainly desired to join them. I 

 opened his door and placed in it a long perch 

 leading to freedom. For some time he did not 

 come out, and when he did, the sudden liberty 

 drove out of his head all thoughts of a bath. 

 When he flew, he aimed straight for the trees 

 outside the window, and of course came vio- 

 lently against the glass. 



This experience all house birds have to go 

 through, and it is sometimes several days before 



