50 A WINTER BIRD-STUDY. 



square. He went to it at once, standing on the 

 floor and observing it with all a critic's airs, 

 throwing back his head, turning it one side and 

 the other, hopping back and forth before it, 

 never removing his eyes, and expressing his 

 opinion in the liveliest manner by a high- 

 pitched insect-like " S-e-e-p," and a contemp- 

 tuous flirt of the tail. For days these actions 

 were repeated, until he became accustomed to 

 it, and accepted it as a feature of the room. 



This bird is remarkably intelligent. He 

 learned to respond to his name more quickly 

 than any of his fellows. He is wonderfully 

 quick to suspect my intentions regarding worms 

 or meat. The sight of the worm-cup brings 

 him from his cage instantly, and since I have 

 been feeding him raw beef instead, I cannot 

 touch the scissors, with which I usually cut it 

 into bits, without bringing him upon me fero- 

 ciously hungry for his breakfast. 



Finding that the thrush persisted in scatter- 

 ing his food when in open dishes, I removed 

 them, and substituted some of a different style, 

 from which he could not waste so much. He 

 did not approve the change, but learned after a 

 time to endure it, and I supposed he had for- 

 gotten all about it ; but when I brought the old 

 cups out for the use of a new bird, he recog- 

 nized them at once. The cage was on the floor, 



