seize the one which
opposed his. He lowered his head as though to take hold of the enemy's
foot, then pulled himself up as straight as a soldier, wings and tail
constantly jerking with excitement. After indulging for some time in
these proceedings, he dodged around behind the glass, plainly expecting
to pounce upon his opponent, and surprised not to do so. Several times
he drew himself up, swelled out his breast, and blustered before the
glass. Once he flew up with the reflection in the manner of a
quarrelsome cock, and upon reaching the top of the glass, naturally went
over and landed behind, without an enemy in sight. Upon this he stared a
moment, as if dazed, then shook himself out, and flew away in evident
disgust.

The deliberate, leisurely dressing of plumage, with which many birds
pass away the dull hours, is an occupation in which the mocking-bird
never had time to indulge. He was a bird of affairs; he had too much on
his mind for loitering. A few sudden, thorough shakes, a rapid snatching
of the wing and tail feathers through the beak, or, after a bath, a
violent beating the air with both wings while holding tightly to the
perch with his feet, sufficed for his toilet. Notwithstanding his
apparent carelessness, his plumage was soft and exquisite in texture,
and when wet the downy breast feathers matted together and hung in
locks, like hair. Through a common magnifying glass each tiny barbule
was seen to be ringed with gray and silvery white, so finely that the
rings could hardly be seen.

The most beautiful and peculiar attitude this bird assumed was when
conducting an attack upon a small object. Seeing one day a steel
pen-point black with ink, he stood before it at a respectful distance,
and raised both wings over his back till they almost touched each other,
holding the tail on one side. In two or three seconds he lowered the
wings a moment, then raised them again, while his tail leaned the other
side. After half a dozen such feints he delivered a gentle peck, and
instantly hopped back out of the way. Seeing that it did not move, he
took it in his bill and flew to the floor, where he soon satisfied
himself that it was not a new variety of beetle. This was always his
method with any new object of small size.

Not only did this doughty warrior vanquish the ordinary birds about him,
but when a gray African parrot made his appearance in the room (on a
short visit) he boldly attacked him, in spite of his size a