AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 307 



to one side, and blink his wise little eyes, saying as plainly as could be, 

 "No more at present, thanks!" 



/y Although Brownie 





had never been outside 

 of his nest,inaday ortwo 

 he conceived a violent 

 prejudice against re- 

 maining in the soft crib 

 which had been improv- 

 g;;;^: ised for him. He 

 wanted to get out on a 

 perch. So he lifted 

 himself on his unsteady 



^V^^s^r-^^— - . legs, flapped his wings 



a few times, fluttered over the rim of the box, and went hopping awk- 

 wardly about on the floor of the cage, sometimes jamming up against 

 the wires. Presently he espied a low perch. He took aim for it, pro- 

 jected himself toward it by the use of his springy legs, and struck it 

 with his mottled breast. A scramble followed, bringing his wings 

 into use, and at length he succeeded in grasping the rod with his claws, 

 drew himself upon it, and sat there as contentedly as if all his life had 

 been spent in such a position. 



It is interesting to study birds at close range in this way, to make 

 special note of the strength of their natural instincts. Each bird, even 

 if taken from the nest at a very tender age, will follow most of the 

 peculiar habits of its kind, learning things gradually but surely. Who 

 taught Brownie how to use a perch, or that a perch was meant to be 

 used at all? Heredity must have been his only tutor, something in 

 his very organism that demanded that kind of a resting place. 



Erelong he learned to hop from one perch to another, for his first 

 cage was a small one; but his early attempts were tentative, and not 

 always successful, and he had more than one awkward scramble and 

 fall. Sometimes he would strike the floor with enough force, appar- 

 ently, to knock the breath out of his body, but, after looking around a 

 few moments in innocent surprise, he would try again. His instincts 

 impelled him to perch and flit about, but he had to gain expertness by 

 practice. 



In a few days he was transferred to a large cage, which was set out 

 on the rear porch. Placed on the sanded floor, he hopped a while, as 

 if enjoying his larger freedom. Then he began to look up for a perch- 

 Presently he espied one that was quite low, and sprang upon it- But 

 his eye straightway espied another a little higher, and he leaped up to that.. 



