I had not sounded the depths in his character; he began to
tease. Not content with complete victory, life seemed dull without some
object to worry. I really think it was his amusement; he certainly went
at it as if it were. I noticed him one morning, standing on the ladder
before his door, apparently working himself up to something. He first
looked at me,--I had a book, and pretended not to see him,--then at the
thrush, who was on the floor as usual; he jerked his body this way and
that, puffed out his feathers, especially on the throat and breast, held
his tail on one side and turned upward at an angle of forty-five
degrees, which gave him a wicked expression. He looked full of life to
the tips of his toes, and greatly excited. The other birds observed him;
the Mexican in his cage rustled his wings, jerked his body, and at last
gave his usual cry. Even the little goldfinch was impressed and looked
on with interest.

All this agitation did not escape the notice of the bird on the floor,
who stood silent, plainly understanding, and waiting for the next move.
Finally the mocking-bird started, gracefully and without haste. He first
flew easily and lightly to the desk, in a moment to the back of a chair,
then deliberately to an arm, next to the seat, and lastly to a round; at
each step pausing, shaking himself, and threatening. When he reached the
floor, he ran a few steps toward the thrush, stopped short, erected
himself very straight, and puffed out as big as possible; then another
little run, and the operation was repeated. He proceeded till within a
foot of the thrush, when he alternated the upright position with a
lowered head, and bill pointed toward the foe, changing from one to the
other very suddenly. When he came so near, the thrush crouched flat on
the floor, with beak turned squarely against the approaching bird, and
thus awaited the onslaught.

In that attitude the mocking-bird did not apparently like to attack him.
He threatened a long time, then retreated gradually, making feints,
turning, running a few inches, and bringing up suddenly with a half turn
back. In this manner he moved away for some distance, then flew to the
round of the chair, the seat, the arm, the back, and so on till he
reached the ladder again. Then for the first time the thrush changed his
position and rose to his feet, when, without the least warning, the
mocker flung himself madly after him, and the thrush, unprepared, ran,
with a sharp