"IS THAT THE WAY YOU EATf" 157 



and uttering the breathing sound each time. 

 Again he jumped from the upper perch to one 

 directly under it, and returned the same way 

 by a very peculiar motion : standing on the 

 lower perch, he turned his head over his 

 shoulder, and sprang back and up at the same 

 time, landing in exactly the same position on 

 the perch above, with perfect ease and grace. 



Nothing pleased the thrasher more than 

 watching other birds ; he observed them closely, 

 especially liking to stand on top of a cage and 

 see the life below, — an agitated life it was 

 apt to be when he was there. Thus he some- 

 times stood on the goldfinch's cage and noticed 

 every motion with great interest, yet with an 

 indescribably ironical air, as if he said, "My 

 dear sir, is that the way you eat?" He 

 showed particular interest in seed-eating birds, 

 apparently not understanding how they could 

 enjoy such food. Though full of bluster and 

 pretense, he was as gentle as any bird in the 

 room, never presumed on his size as the biggest, 

 and, though liking to tease and worry, never 

 really touching one. The smallest only needed 

 to stand and face him to see that it was all 

 bluster and fun. 



All this until spring began to stir his blood 

 and tempt him occasionally, after long postur- 

 ing and many feints, to deliver a gentle dig at 



