JUNE. 161 



vividness of the image. Such an imitation of an animal 

 was certainly well calculated to deceive. 



To prove that outlined pictures, such as I have men- 

 tioned, were recognized when those with landscape sur- 

 roundings were not, I exposed a large portion of a menag- 

 erie poster that was vividly colored and not inaccurately 

 drawn in a thicket filled with birds. It was passed by 

 unnoticed. Cutting away all portions but that repre- 

 senting an Angora cat, and placing it in a position where 

 its outline could be seen distinctly against the sky, it pro- 

 duced much consternation at first, and then the birds be- 

 gan to marvel why it did not move, and so suspected its 

 true nature, or that it was dead; but none were brave 

 enough to cross the danger-line as, in their discretion, they 

 had drawn it. 



Removing it from its elevated position and placing it 

 on the ground, it was not noticed. Chewinks and Mary- 

 land yellow-throats passed it by without stopping a mo- 

 ment, and a frightened chipmunk went directly over it, 

 and was only disturbed by the rustling of the paper. I re- 

 stored it as best I could, and varnished the eyes until they 

 glistened ; then I replaced it in the bushes not far from a 

 robin's nest. It was believed, I am sure, to be really a 

 cat, and the birds at once were greatly disturbed at its 

 presence. Of course, it might be argued that any unusual 

 object would excite a nesting bird's suspicion, but plain 

 paper of the same size and having a similar outline had 

 no effect whatever. On the contrary, a pair of vireos tore 

 off bits of it for their nest, but never would they have 

 dared to offer a like indignity to the chromo of a crouch- 

 ing cat. 



Of groups of animals, however accurately drawn and 



colored, neither birds nor mammals seem to have any 



power to recognize. The enormous posters scattered over 



the country by Barnum and Forepaugh frighten neither 



11 



