68 A WINTER BIRD-STUDY. 



gry yet full, fighting the inclination to disgorge, 

 which, however, at last overpowers him, the 

 lump as big as the end of one's little finger 

 comes up, and he falls to his food with eager- 

 ness. 



The thrush always has a serious time when 

 he finds a string hanging, which he can reach 

 yet not draw out. The tugs and jerks, the 

 bracing of his firm little legs, and pulls that 

 take him off his feet, are amusing to see, while 

 his persistence is amazing. He will work a 

 whole day on a large piece of twine which hangs 

 within his reach, trying to pull it down, or to 

 untwist the end so that he can eat it. Fringe 

 of all sorts is too attractive to resist. He made 

 a funny figure of himself one day when a towel 

 was left hanging on the back of a chair. The 

 fringe was a foot from the floor, and the bird 

 would spring up to it, seize several threads in 

 his bill, and attempt to carry them off. They 

 would not come, and there he would hang, beat- 

 ing the air with both wings, and wildly grasp- 

 ing at nothing with both feet, swinging back 

 and forth as he did so. In a moment he would 

 drop to the floor exhausted, but very soon re- 

 turn to the charge, seizing, and swinging, and 

 clawing as before. It was a laughable sight. 



Now, as I write, the thrush stands on the 

 desk before me looking with deepest interest at 



