Introductory 



one appreciative listener for a single half-iiour out of each year," 

 and so on. 



But 1 must, remind all readers that any one who does keep 

 pets incurs responsibilities along with the pleasure they bring. 

 To deprive any wild animal of its liberty and then neglect it is 

 sheer barbarity. 



Having birds in this way affords almost the only means of 

 studying the remarkable individuality possessed by different 

 m-embers of the same species. That each bird has a character 

 peculiar to itself may be doubted b.y some, but 1 have never seen 

 two individuals showing the same peculiarities. Two rose- 

 breasted grosbeaks that have been reared together from the same 

 nest, and are now eighteen months old, are different in almost 

 every way. One is intensely jealous and objects to attention being 

 paid to any other bird; the other seems not to know what 

 jealousy means. One wants to sleep at night; the other keeps 

 up a perpetual jumping from perch to perch until all hours. 

 The female (who has most of the bad traits) never lets her mate 

 have any little tid-bit in the way of food; no matter how much 

 she has, she immediately seizes whatever is given to her better- 

 natured companion. So it is with all the other birds; one will 

 be naturally wild and timid; another knows no fear; one, though 

 tame, cannot endure being touched; another, like a bluebird I 

 have, wants to be handled most of the time, and is quite content 

 if allowed to sit quietly (and go to sleep) mside a partly closed 

 hand. 



The method of eating adopted by each of the birds is quite 

 individual. The wood thrush makes rapid and regular dips into 

 the food-cup, taking only a small mouthful each time, but repeat- 

 ing the operation until its hunger is satisfied ; feeding takes place 

 at rather long intervals. The yellow-breasted chat feeds some- 

 what after the same manner, but is not so quick or so dainty in 

 its movements, and eats more frequently. The mocking-bird eats 

 often and much, but does not draw his beak away from the cup 

 between each mouthful. The bluebird eats fairly frequently and 

 dips his beak into the food with a sharp jerk, pausing a second or 

 two between each mouthful, and making a snap with his beak 

 every time he takes the food. If given a live grasshopper, he 

 carefully kills it, then shakes off its legs and swallows the entire 

 body, afterwards gathering up the legs. The Baltifnore oriole 



9 



