172 
MAMMALIA. 
So the music went on, as I listened, watch in hand, until actually 
nine minutes had elapsed. Now the wonderful fact is that the rest 
between the roles was never much more than for a second of time ; 
and during all this singing the muscles could be seen in vigorous 
action through the entire length of the abdomen. This feat would 
be impossible to a professional singer ; and the nearest to it that I 
have seen was the singing of a wild mocking bird in a grove. 
“ For several days the wheel grated on its axle. This afforded 
Hespie great delight ; and her own little warble was completely lost 
in the harsher sound. It was pretty much as it is with some of the 
modern methods of praise ; as when the vocal is subordinated to the 
instrumental, a mere murmur of song, on which the organist comes 
down as with the sound of many waters. A drop of oil, and the 
sound of the friction stopped. This quite excited her temper ; and 
she bit the wires of her wheel most viciously. A little device was 
hit upon which set her in good humor again. A strip of stout 
writing paper, a half inch wide, was pinned down in such a way that 
its clean cut upper edge pressed against the wires of the wheel, 
making with its revolution a pleasant, purring sound. It was on the 
principle, exactly, of the old-time watchman's rattle, and the old toy 
known as a cricket. This for a while greatly delighted the capricious 
creature, and she made the wheel almost fly ; at the same time, in 
unison with the whirr of the wheel, was her own soft, cheery warble. 
It was very low, yet very distinct.” 
Another noteworthy peculiarity of Hespie’s was that she some- 
times ate and sang at the same time. On one occasion a slender 
twig of black alder, about an inch in length, was given her. “ She 
was delighted, and at once began in her usual pretty way, sitting 
up, to eat the bark, although it was very bitter. Thus she sat 
‘ bolt upright ; ' and the manner in which she held this little black 
stick in both hands up to her mouth, at the precise angle in which a 
fife is held, although nibbling away, yet singing at the same time, it 
