o push and pull at the back of one till he got it loose from the
rest, and then work at it till it fell to the floor. He never failed to
reduce the pile to a disreputable-looking muss.

The bird was as fond of hammering as any woodpecker, on the bottom of
his cage, on perches, on the floor, even on his food; and his leaps or
bounds without the apparent help of his wings were extraordinary. Not
infrequently I have seen him spring into the air just high enough to
see me over my desk,--three feet at least,--probably to satisfy himself
as to my whereabouts, and drop instantly back to his work or play.

This amusing bird was also intelligent. He understood perfectly well
what I wanted when I spoke to him; that is, he had a guilty conscience
when in mischief that translated my tone to him. Also he recognized
instantly a bird out of place, as, for instance, one on the floor which
usually frequented the perches and higher parts of the room; and having
taken upon himself the office of regulator, he always went after the
bird thus out of his accustomed beat. When I talked to the thrasher, he
answered me not only with a rough-breathing sound, a sort of prolonged
"ha-a-a," but with his wings as well. Of course this is not uncommon in
birds, but none that I have seen use these members so significantly as
he did. His way was to lift the wing nearest me, sometimes very
slightly, sometimes to a perpendicular position, but only one wing, and
only after I made a remark. This exhibition was curious and interesting,
and I often prolonged my talk to see the variety he could give to this
simple motion. His wings were always expressive, in alighting in a new
place, or where he suspected there might be danger or a surprise; the
moment his feet touched he lifted one or both wings quite high, dropping
them at once.

A more lithe body than that of the brown thrush I have never seen in
feathers; he could assume as many attitudes as he had emotions. He often
stood on a perch and postured for a long time, as if greatly excited and
meditating some mad deed, and I must confess he usually carried out the
intention. Not only was he able to put his body into all possible
shapes, but he had extraordinary command of his feathers. He could erect
them on any one part alone, on the top of the head, the shoulders, the
back, or the chin. He often raised the feathers just above the tail,
letting that member hang straight down, giving him the appearance of
bein