position next to the lively orioles, and hanging it alone between two
windows, where, although not so light, it had the advantage of solitude.
The change completed the happiness of the grosbeak. From that day he no
more intruded upon others, but went and came freely and joyously to his
own cage, and from being hard to catch at night he became one of the
most easy, proceeding the moment he entered his home toward dark to the
upper perch to wait for me to close the door before going to his
seed-dish. In fact, he grew so contented that he cared little to come
out, and often sat in his favorite corner of the cage by the hour, with
the door wide open and the other birds flying around. Now, too, he began
to sing in a sweet voice a very low and tender minor strain.

Among his other peculiarities this bird scarcely ever seemed to feel
the need of utterance of any soft. On the rare occasions of any
excitement he delivered a sharp, metallic "click"; a sudden alarm, like
the attack of another bird, called out a war-cry loud and shrill, and
very odd; and in the contest over the important question of precedence
at the bath he sometimes uttered a droll squeal or whining sound.
Besides these, he made singular noises in bathing and dressing his
feathers, which are not uncommon among birds, but are difficult to
describe. They always remind me of the rubbing of machinery in need of
oil.

This beautiful bird was not easily frightened; the only time I ever saw
him seriously disturbed was at the sight of a stuffed screech-owl, which
I brought into the room without thinking of its probable effect. I
placed it on a shelf in a closet, and I soon noticed that the moment the
closet door was opened the grosbeak became greatly agitated; he darted
across the room to a certain retreat where he always hurried on the
first alarm of any sort, and remained in retirement till the fancied
danger was over, while the others flew madly about. In this place he
stood posturing in much excitement, and uttering at short intervals his
sharp "click." For some time I did not understand his conduct, nor think
of connecting it with the owl on the shelf; but when it did occur to me
I tried the experiment of bringing it out into the room, when I
immediately saw, what I should have remembered at once, that it was an
object of terror to all the birds.

The song of the rose-breasted grosbeak is celebrated, and I hoped my
bird would become acquainted with us, and let o