Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-08-10

them. For n moment he stood crouchcd,
I ieady for fight If the thing should make
hhostile demonstrations. Scoing it re-,
main still. he touched IL gently with his
bill. The toy moved, and he sprung
back. In q moment IL was still, and
he tried again; and he did not leave IL
till he had fully exhausted its possibli-
ties in the way, of motion, f....
At another time he saw his bath-tub,
a. tin dish, standing upon pitcher He
alighted on the edge. II was so poised
that IL shook and ratified. The bird
flew in panic to the top of cornice,
his usual place of refuge, and closely
watched the pan while IL Jared back
and forth several times. Apparently
seeing that il 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 il there was
still drop'of water left for him in the
! bottom of the dish. ITO TFFnf
! One day, in his travels about the
| floor, he found marble. 1t was too
large to take up in his mouth, so he
tried to stab it, as he does grape.
The first peck he gave sent il rolling
off, and he hastily retrcated TO the corr
nice.l When 1t stopped he returned and
tried it again. Thistime it sprang to-
ward him. He gave one great leap and
| then, ashamcdof hisfright, stood and
waited for tito 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: 1t is my
waste basket; the contents are 80 varied
and so attractive. He will stand on the
| edge, hop all around it, and view it
| from every side; but il is so deep and
narrow that he evidently does not dare
to venture further. Every day he goes
to the edge, and 5azes sadly and ear
nesily, but Is never satisfied. NEn
| \ This interest in nay doings.is always
intense, and ut every fresh movement
he will come down to the corner nearest
me, if in his cage, or aliglit on thclbacS
of my desk, if out, and peer at me with
closest attention. One thing that seems
| to amaze and confound him is my ,,ap-
pearance in different dress. "What
sort Of monster is this his
manner will Say, (which can change its
feathers so rapidly and so often ?''
Il If want him to go into his cage or
any part of the room, 4 need only GO
there myself and put some little thing
there, or even appear to do so; and as
soon as leave he will rush over to see
what l have done, done,,,.a,,......s..,.,...........-
Next to his curiosity is his love of
teasing. Thelsubject furnishing oppor-
| tunity for a 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-
ccive 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 cardina! fit subject for annoy
ance. He will alight on the cardinal S
cage, driving him nearly frantic; he
win stand on shelf near the cage, look
in, and try to get at the food dish-al
of which is in the highest degree often
i sive, and calls forth violent scolds and
screams of rage. Finally, he will stea
{ a grape or bit of fruit stuck between
the wires, when the cardinal will fairly
blaze with wrath At one time the
cat-bird indulged in promenades acros.
4 the top of the cage, until the exasper
ated resident resorted to severe meas
ures, and by nipping his toes succeeded
in convincing his tormentor that the
top of his house was not a public high
. way. hrn ap =. q.
Worse than all his other misdeeds
{ lhowever, was n deliberate insult he paiG
to the cardinals singing, This ardent
musician was one day sitting down OF
his perch, as he is fond of doing, ant
singing away for dear life, when the cat
bird alighted on the window-sash, clost
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-birt
gave his tail one upward jerk, as if tt
say: Humph!" I noticed the insult
ing air, but l was surprised to see thai
the cardinal appreciated it also. Hi
began again at once, in much louder
tone, rising to his feet--which he rarely
does-lifting his crest, swaying back
and forth in a perfect rage, glaring Al
his enemy, and pouring out his llsua
song in such flood of shrieks and call:
that even the calm cat-bird was dis
turbed, and discreetly retired to the op
III DOSltC WIIiuoN. lutn biC Scut
ed himself again, and stopped his song
but gave vent to his Indignation in ,
most energetic series of sharp +" tsips ,
for long time. t5 20
Quite different is the cat-bird's treat
ment of two English goldiinches. Or
them he plays jokes, and his mischiev
GUS delight and his chuckling at theil
, success are plain to see. One of then
|. Chip, by .name--knows that when hi
is In his cage with the door shut, he i.
safe, and nothing the cat-bird can dc
z l.disturbsi him in the least; but tn,
Chipee-is just as hustered ant
/ .l.panic-stricken in her cage as out, ant
the greatest pleasure OF his life is :,
keep her wrought up to the ilutterins
lpoint. He has perfect perception o
| the difference between the two birds
When both are out he will chase then
= around the room, from cornice to cor
nice; drive them away from tie bath
which they all have on table, purel!
for fun, as his manner shows. Blu
once Gagged, he pays no further attention
!, to- Chip, while always inventing nev
ways to worry Chipee, He alights OF
the perch between the cages, crouche
down, with eyes fixed upon her and tai
jerking, as If about to annihilate her
She. flies in wild panic against the wires
to his great qualification. Then he ruff
/ himself up to look terrible, spreads hi
legs wide apart, busters and jerks hi
, body and wings and tail, making feint
to rush at her, till she is so frightene
that ], take pity on her and drive hir
Qneidav when. aha ,vss mora ne,.vo,,
and he more impish than usual. co,
cred her cage, with towel, He cam
I, back as soon as 4 had left it, and pre-
! ceeded to inquire into this scrcer
After looking attit sharply ON all side
. he went around behind the cage, pulle
at the, end Of the towel and peeped IL
She nuttered, and he was pleased.
: arranged II more securely, and the ne,
!, performance was TO take hold with HI
: bill and shake it violently. This ais
n.