"TRICKS AND MANNERS" OF A CAT-BIRD. 91 



closely, he will suddenly fly up almost from 

 under my hand. Still as he can keep, his move- 

 ments are rapid ; he is deliberation itself in 

 making up his mind to go anywhere, but once 

 decided he goes like a flash. 



When a new bird was introduced into the 

 room, an English song thrush, twice as big as 

 himself, the cat-bird was at first uncertain how 

 to treat him ; but in one day he learned that 

 he could frighten him. The small, dark, imp- 

 ish-looking fellow, rushing madly at the big, 

 honest, simple thrush, put him into an uncon- 

 trollable panic. As soon as this fact was estab- 

 lished the cat-bird became a tyrant. He will 

 not allow him to enjoy anything on the floor, 

 drives him away from the bath, mocks his 

 singing with harsh notes, and assumes very 

 saucy airs towards him. 



The worst effect of the thrush's coming, 

 however, was to show me a new trait of the 

 cat-bird's character, jealousy. The first day 

 or two he sulked, would not go out of his cage, 

 would not touch meat, and though he has grad- 

 ually returned to his liberty and his meat, he 

 still refuses, now after two months, to alight 

 on my hands for his tid-bits as he did before. 



Nothing is more interesting than to note the 

 variety the cat-bird will give to the cry which 

 at a distance resembles the "mew" of a cat. 



