WINTER NEIGHBORS 



in a stick and pulled him over on his side, 

 leaving one of his wings spread out, he 

 made no attempt to recover himself, but lay 

 among the chips and fragments of decayed 

 wood, like a part of themselves. Indeed, 

 it took a sharp eye to distinguish him. 

 Not till I had pulled him forth by one 

 wing, rather rudely, did he abandon his 

 trick of simulated sleep or death. Then, 

 like a detected pickpocket, he was suddenly 

 transformed into another creature. His 

 eyes flew wide open, his talons clutched my 

 finger, his ears were depressed, and every 

 motion and look said, " Hands off, at your 

 peril." Finding this game did not work, 

 he soon began to " play 'possum " again. 

 I put a cover over my study wood-box and 

 kept him captive for a week. Look in 

 upon him at any time, night or day, and he 

 was apparently wrapped in the profoundest 

 slumber ; but the live mice which I put 

 into his box from time to time found his 

 sleep was easily broken ; there would be a 

 sudden rustle in the box, a faint squeak, 

 and then silence. After a week of captiv- 

 ity I gave him his freedom in the full sun- 

 shine : no trouble for him to see which way 

 and where to go. 



17 



