172 MAMMALIA. 



So the music went on, as I listened, watch in hand, until actually 

 nine minutes had elapsed. Now the wonderful fact is that the rest 

 between the roles was never much more than for a second of time ; 

 and during" all this singing the muscles could be seen in vigorous 

 action through the entire length of the abdomen. This feat would 

 be impossible to a professional singer ; and the nearest to it that I 

 have seen was the sina-ina of a wild mockino- bird in a orove. 



" For several days the wheel grated on its axle. This afforded 

 Hespie great delight ; and her own little warble was completely lost 

 in the harsher sound. It was pretty much as it is with some of the 

 modern methods of praise ; as when the vocal is subordinated to the 

 instrumental, a mere murmur of song, on which the organist comes 

 down as with the sound of many waters. A drop of oil, and the 

 sound of the friction stopped. This quite excited her temper ; and 

 she bit the wires of her wheel most viciously. A little device was 

 hit upon which set her in good humor again. A strip of stout 

 writing paper, a half inch wide, was pinned down in such a way that 

 its clean cut upper edge pressed against the wires of the wheel, 

 making with its revolution a pleasant, purring sound. It was on the 

 principle, exactly, of the old-time watchman's rattle, and the old toy 

 known as a cricket. This for a while greatly delighted the capricious 

 creature, and she made the wheel almost fly ; at the same time, in 

 unison with the whirr of the wheel, was her own soft, cheery warble. 

 It was very low, yet very distinct." 



Another noteworthy peculiarity of Hespie's was that she some- 

 times ate and sang at the same time. On one occasion a slender 

 twig of black alder, about an inch in length, was given her. " She 

 was delighted, and at once began in her usual pretty way, sitting 

 up, to eat the bark, although it was very bitter. Thus she sat 

 ' bolt upright ; ' and the manner in which she held this little black 

 stick in both hands up to her mouth, at the precise angle in which a 

 fife is held, although nibbling away, yet singing at the same time, it 



