nly to him and he flew. Two or three times he
repeated the performance, but was each time forced to fly before the
large, strong beak wielded by his opponent, who finished his bath, and
retired to a perch to dress his feathers. Now the mocking-bird resumed
his splashing; but when thoroughly wet, the thought seemed to strike him
that he was not in good fighting trim, and must dry himself as quickly
as possible to be ready for war, which he at once did by flirting and
shaking himself, bounding from one end to the other of a perch, as
though he had suddenly gone mad. He was soon in order, and more than
ready to resume hostilities. The enemy still occupied his favorite
position upon his roof. Two cages stood side by side on a shelf, and
across the tops of them, with great noise and tramping of feet, the
Mexican delighted to run, thus amusing himself an hour at a time. Seeing
him off his guard, the wary fellow watched his chance, and when his foe
was at one end of the course he suddenly alighted on the other. The
Mexican ran madly at him, clattering his bill furiously, when he
gracefully rose from his place, flew over, and perched on the other end.
The run was repeated, and the mischievous bird continued the annoyance
until his victim was exhausted, panting, and in great excitement. From
that day the Mexican gave up the contest with his too lively antagonist,
and refused to come out of his cage at all; so that in fact the stranger
reduced the colony to submission.

With the wood-thrush, the encounters differed from both the preceding.
This bird had opened hostilities when the mocker first appeared,
presuming on being the older resident, and the only bird who cared much
to be on the floor. The disputed object, as already mentioned, was the
apple, which they received on the matting, two pieces being placed at
some distance apart. Seeing the thrush engaged with one, the
mocking-bird quietly dropped to the other, when instantly the thrush
deserted his own, ran hastily across the room, and claimed that piece.
As he approached, the mocking-bird lifted himself into the air by a
beautiful and graceful movement; he did not seem to fly, but to simply
rise on wing. The thrush being occupied with that piece, the new-comer
descended upon the abandoned slice; but the inhospitable bird wanted
that also. Even when three or more pieces were at their disposal, the
thrush tried to monopolize them all, though the plan of collecting them
in one