310 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



sented the stranger's intrusion. He dashed at the Jay, and struck him 

 savagely with his long, lancelike beak, and drove the squawking young- 

 ster all over the cage floor. Several attempts were made to induce the 

 thrasher to receive the new guest with hospitality, but he simply would 

 not submit to the Jay's company, and that was the end of all aigument; 

 and so Brownie was given another large cage all to himself, for I fear- 

 ed he was beginning to abuse the Orioles, and here he was very happy 

 for a while. 



He was beginning to twitter an elaborate little song with his mandi- 

 bles closed. Nor did he neglect his calisthenics, for at frequent in- 

 tervals he would take a vigorous turn in his cage, performing feats 

 that excited our wonder. Sometimes he was taken out of his cage for 

 a little while to make a meal on ants, of which he was especially fond. 



My young birds always grew nervous as night approached, seem- 

 ing to realize that a time of peril was coming, a time when they would 

 be helpless in the power of an enemy. Back and forth they would flit,, 

 calling in a distressing way, until darkness had come, when they would 

 settle quietly on the highest perches. It became necessary at night to 

 cover the cages with carpet as they were too large to be moved into 

 the house. Because I neglected to do this one night my pretty oriole's 

 were destroyed by a cat. At first as I moved the cages about and 

 covered them, the Thrasher and Jay became greatly agitated, but in a 

 short time they knew what it meant, and would settle contentedly on 

 their perches as soon as I began to arrange their bed chamber for the 

 night. It really seemed as if they were safe from prowlers when thus 

 protected. 



Brownies discontent 'began when I put a young Robin into his cage. 

 The Robin was about as old as himself, and had an independent and 

 somewhat irritable disposition, and so when Brownie approached him ,. 

 he, (the Robin) who now found his freedom greatly curtailed; for 

 whenever he flew near the red-breast, that bird would snap viciously at 

 him. I could see that Brownie was not happy and he seemed to look 

 reproachfully at me, as if he thought I had done him a great injustice 

 to obtrude that unwelcome robin upon him. When the cage door was 

 opened he would try to escape. Several times he succeeded, and once 

 he remained out in the trees so long that he was almost famished, and 

 was glad to come back to his cage where his wants were all supplied. 



But in a week he had forgotten his experience out-of-doors, and the 

 spirit of discontent seized him again; so he slipped past me one day 

 when I opened the door, and escaped to the tall trees of the yard. 

 Supposing he would soon return I did not pay much attention to him. 

 The day passed and when night came I could not find him. I felt very 



