The brown thrush was never so violent and eccentric in movement as just
after his bath. Allowing himself often but a moment's hasty shake of
plumage, he darted furiously across the room, startling every bird, and
alighting no one could guess where. Then, after more jerks and rapid
shakings, he flung himself as unexpectedly in another direction, while
at every fresh turn birds scattered wildly, everywhere, anywhere, out of
his way, bringing up in the most unaccustomed places; as, for instance,
a dignified bird, who never went to the floor, coming to rest under the
bed, or a ground-lover flattened against the side of a cage. All this
disturbance seemed to please the thrasher, for he had a spice of
mischief in his composition. A never failing diversion was teasing a
goldfinch. He began his pranks by entering the cage and hammering on the
tray, or digging into the seed in a savage way that sent it flying out
in a shower, which result so entertained him that I was forced to close
the door when the owner was out. This the thrush resented, and he next
took to jumping against the side of the cage, clinging a moment, then
bouncing off with so much force that the cage rocked violently. Then he
placed himself on the perch by the door, and pounded, and pulled, and
jerked, and shook the door, till, if the owner were home, he was nearly
wild. Having exhausted that amusement, he jumped on the top and in some
way jarred the cage roughly. To protect it I made a cover of paper, but,
contrary to my intentions, this afforded the rogue a new pleasure, for
he soon found that by tramping over it he could make a great noise, and
he quickly learned the trick of tearing the paper into pieces, and
uncovering the little fellow, who, by the way, was not in the least
afraid, but simply enraged and insulted, and when outside stood and
faced his tormentor, blustering and scolding him well.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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