The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-08-10

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ties in the way of motion.
At another time he saw his bath-tub,
a tin dish, standing upon pitcher. He
alighted on the edge. 1t was so. poised
that it shook and ratified. The bird
flew in panic to the top of cornice,
his usual place of refuge, and closely
watched the pan while it Jared back
and forth several times. Apparently
seeing that it was harmless motion.
he again flew down to the same spot;
and the rattle and shake did not drive
him away till he had seen if there was
still drop of water left for him in the
bottom of the dish.
One day, in his travels about the
floor, he found a marble. 1t was too
large to take up in his mouth, so he
tried to stab it, as he does a grape.
The first peck he gave sent it rolling
off, and he hastily retreated to the cor
nice. When it stopped he returned and
tried it again. This time it sprang to-
ward him. He gave one great leap and
then, ashamed Of his fright, stood and
waited for it to be still. Again and
again he tried to pierce the marble, till
he was satisfied that it was not practi-
cable, when he abandoned it for ever.
There is one mystery in the room
not yet penetrated, though it is sub
ject Of the deepest longing: it is my
waste-basket; the contents are so varied
and so attractive He will stand on the
edge, hop all around it, and view it
from every side; but it is so deep and
narrow that he evidently does not dare
to venture further. Every day he goes
to the edge, and gazes sadly and ear
nestly, but is never satisfied. 80
This interest in my doings is always
intense, and at every fresh movement
he will come down to the corner nearest
me, if in his cage, or alight on the back
of my desk, if out, and peer at me with
closest attention. One thing that seems
to amaze and confound him is my APP
pearance in different dress. ssWhat
sort of monster is this, his
manner will say, (which can change its
feathers so rapidly and SO often ?''
If want him to 60 into his cage or
any part Of the room, [ need only go
there myself and put some little thing
there, or even appear to do SO; and as
soon as I leave he will rush over to see
what have done.
Next to his curiosity is his love of
teasing. The subject furnishing oppor-
tunity for display of this quality is
a cardinal grosbeak, which cannot be
coaxed to leave his cage. The latter is
the older resident and he did not re-
ceive the cat-bird very cordially. In
fact, he grew cross from the day the
latter arrived, and snarled and scolded
every time he came near. The cat-bird
soon found out that his enemy never
left the cage, and since then has consid-
cred the cardinal fit subject for annoy
ance. He will alight on the cardinals
cage, driving him nearly frantic; he
will stand on shelf near the cage, look
in, and try to get at the food dish-all
of which is in the highest degree often
sive, and calls forth violent scolds and
screams of rage. Finally, he will steal
a grape or bit of fruit stuck between
the wires, when the cardinal will fairly
blaze with wrath. At one time the
cat-bird INDUCED in promenades across
the top of the cage, until the exasper-
ated resident resorted to severe meas
1res, and by nipping his toes succeeded
in convincing his tormentor that the
top of his house was not a public high
way. fi s
Worse than all his other misdeeds,
however, was deliberate insult he paid
to the cardinals singing. This ardent
musician was one day Sitting down on
his perch, as he is fond of doing, and
singing away for dear life, when the cat
bird alighted on the window-sash, close
by the cage. The singer kept his eye
on him. but proceeded with the music
till the end of the strain, when, as usual,
he paused. At that instant the cat-bird
gave his tail one upward jerk, as if to
say: "Humph! / noticed the insult
ing air, but | was surprised to see that
the cardinal appreciated it ALSO He
began again at once, in much louder
tone, rising to his feet-which he rarely |
does-lifting his crest, swaying back
aud forth in perfect rage, glaring at |
his enemy, and pouring out his usual |
song in such flood of shrieks and calls |
that even the calm cat-bird was dis
turbed and discreetly retired to the OPP
posite window. Then the cardinal seat
ed himself again, and stopped his song,
but gave vent to his indignation in a
most energetic series of sharp "tsips"
for long time.
Quite different is the cat-brd's treat
ment of two English goldfinches. On
them he plays jokes, and his mischiev-
Gus delight and his ehuckling at their
success are plain to see. One of them
Chip, by name-knows that when he
is in his cage, with the door shut, he is
safe, and nothing the cat-bird can do
disturEs him in the least; but the
other Chipee-is just as fustered and
panic-stricken in her cage as out, and
the greatest pleasure of his life is to
keep her wrought up to the futtering
point. He has perfect perception Of
the difference between the two birds.
When both are out he will chase them
around the room, from cornice to cor
nice; drive them away from tie bath,
which they all have on a table, purely
for fun, as his manner shows. But
once Gagged, he pays no further attention
to Chip, while always inventing new
ways to worry Chipee. He alights on
the perch between the cages, crouches
down, with eyes fixed upon her and tail
| jerking, as If about to annihilate her.
She flies in wild panic against the wires,
to his great qualification. Then he ruffs
himself up to look terrible, spreads his
legs wide apart, busters and jerks his
body and wings and tail, making feints
to rush at her, till she is so frightened
that take pity on her and drive him
away.
One day, when she was more nervous
and he more impish than usual, COW
cred her cage with towel. He came
back as soon as | had left it. and pro-
ceeded to inquire into this new screen.
After looking at it sharply on all sides
he went around behind the cage, pulled
at the end of the towel and peeped in.
She fiuttered, and he was pleased. II
arranged it more securely, and the next
performance was to take hold with his
bill and shake it violently. This also
remedied, his last resource was to come
down on the end of perch with
bounce, making much more noise than
usual; he generally alghts like afeather.
After each bound he would stand and
listen, and the futter he always heard
| delighted him hugely, As louo as thew