"TRICKS AND MANNERS" OF A CAT-BIRD. 85 



can change its feathers so rapidly and so of- 

 ten?" 



If I want him to go into his cage, or to any 

 part of the room, I need only to go myself and 

 put some little thing there, or even appear to 

 do so ; and as soon as I retire he will rush over 

 to see what I have done. 



Next to his curiosity is his love of teasing. 

 The subject furnishing opportunity for a dis- 

 play of this quality is a cardinal grosbeak, 

 which cannot be coaxed to leave his cage. The 

 latter is the older resident, and he did not re- 

 ceive the cat-bird very cordially. In fact, he 

 grew cross from the day the latter arrived, and 

 snarled and scolded every time he came near. 

 The cat-bird soon found out that his enemy 

 never left the cage, and since then has consid- 

 ered him a fit subject for annoyance. He will 

 alight on the cardinal's cage, driving him nearly 

 frantic ; he will stand on a shelf near the cage, 

 look in, and try to get at the food dish, all 

 of which is in the highest degree offensive, and 

 calls forth violent scolds and screams of rage. 

 Finally, he will steal a grape or bit of fruit 

 stuck between the wires, when the cardinal will 

 fairly blaze with wrath. At one time the cat- 

 bird indulged in promenades across the top of 

 the cage, until the exasperated resident resorted 

 to severe measures, and by nipping his toes 



