The thrasher was exceedingly wary13, and nothing was droller than his manner of approaching anything, whether a worm I had thrown on the matting for him, or the bathing-dish. In the case of the worm, the moment he saw his prey14—which I selected for its liveliness—he came to a nearer perch15, and stood there a few minutes, posturing16, shaking his plumage in great excitement, looking at me and then at the tempting17 object. Very soon he dropped to the floor and started towards the worm in the funniest way; running a few steps, stopping short and turning half round, ready for instant flight, flirting18 his feathers with a[Pg 150] great rustle19, turning an anxious eye on me, then on the wriggling20 attraction, running a step or two, and repeating the performance. In this way he advanced very gradually till near enough to half encircle his prey; or to run and hop21 sideways as though to describe a circle, turning away at each pause as before, all the time jerking and fluttering in intense agitation22, and always keeping an eye on me. Not that he was in the least afraid of me; it was simply his sensational23 way of doing everything. When he finally came within reach of the worm, he snatched it, and ran as though the enemy were upon him.
His performances before entering the bath were even more amusing. The bathing-dish, a broad, deep plate, stood upon a towel on a table. The bird alighted on the table, and began first to peck the towel, pulling the fringe, working at any loose thread he discovered, and industriously24 enlarging any small hole he chanced to find. In doing thus he often turned over the edge, when he sprang back as though he had seen a ghost. Recovering from the shock, he circled around the dish with little hops25, occasionally giving a gentle peck at the edge of the dish, or a snip26 at the water with his beak27. Thus he waltzed around the bath perhaps forty times, now and then going so far as to jump up on the[Pg 151] edge, make a dash at the water, and back off as if it were hot, or to give a hop into the middle of the water and out again so quickly that one could hardly believe he touched it. When, after all this ceremony, he did go in to stay, he made most thorough work, splashing in a frantic28 way, as though he had but a moment to stay, and in one minute getting more soaked than many birds ever do. After this short dip he dashed out, flew to a perch, and in the maddest way jerked and shook himself dry; pulling his feathers through his beak with a snap, and making a peculiar29 sound which I can liken only to the rubbing of machinery30 that needs oil.
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 darted31 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 scattered32 wildly, everywhere, anywhere, out of his way, bringing up in the most unaccustomed places; as, for instance, a dignified33 bird, who never went to the floor, coming to rest under the bed, or a ground-lover flattened34 against the side of a cage. All this disturbance35 seemed to please the thrasher, for[Pg 152] he had a spice of mischief36 in his composition. A never failing diversion was teasing a goldfinch. He began his pranks37 by entering the cage and hammering on the tray, or digging into the seed in a savage38 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 exhausted39 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 rogue40 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 enraged41 and insulted, and when outside stood and faced his tormentor42, blustering44 and scolding him well.
Tearing paper was always amusing to the brown thrush. I have seen him take his stand[Pg 153] near the wall, peck at the paper till he found a weak spot where it would yield and break, then take the torn edge in his bill and deliberately45 tear it a little. It was "snatching a fearful joy," however, for the noise always startled him. First came a little tear, then a leap one side, another small rent, another panic; and so he went on till he had torn off a large piece which dropped to the floor, while I sat too much interested in the performance to think of saving the paper. (The room and its contents are always secondary to the birds' comfort and pleasure, in my thoughts.) A newspaper on the floor furnished him amusement for hours, picking it to pieces, tearing pictures, from which he always first pecked the faces, dragging the whole about the floor to hear it rattle47 and to scare himself with. A pile of magazines on a table made a regular playground for him, his plan being to push and pull at the back of one till he got it loose from the rest, and then work at it till it fell to the floor. He never failed to reduce the pile to a disreputable-looking muss.
The bird was as fond of hammering as any woodpecker, on the bottom of his cage, on perches48, on the floor, even on his food; and his leaps or bounds without the apparent help of his wings were extraordinary. Not infrequently[Pg 154] I have seen him spring into the air just high enough to see me over my desk,—three feet at least,—probably to satisfy himself as to my whereabouts, and drop instantly back to his work or play.
This amusing bird was also intelligent. He understood perfectly well what I wanted when I spoke49 to him; that is, he had a guilty conscience when in mischief that translated my tone to him. Also he recognized instantly a bird out of place, as, for instance, one on the floor which usually frequented the perches and higher parts of the room; and having taken upon himself the office of regulator, he always went after the bird thus out of his accustomed beat. When I talked to the thrasher, he answered me not only with a rough-breathing sound, a sort of prolonged "ha-a-a," but with his wings as well. Of course this is not uncommon50 in birds, but none that I have seen use these members so significantly as he did. His way was to lift the wing nearest me, sometimes very slightly, sometimes to a perpendicular51 position, but only one wing, and only after I made a remark. This exhibition was curious and interesting, and I often prolonged my talk to see the variety he could give to this simple motion. His wings were always expressive, in alighting in a new place, or where he suspected[Pg 155] there might be danger or a surprise; the moment his feet touched he lifted one or both wings quite high, dropping them at once.
A more lithe52 body than that of the brown thrush I have never seen in feathers; he could assume as many attitudes as he had emotions. He often stood on a perch and postured53 for a long time, as if greatly excited and meditating54 some mad deed, and I must confess he usually carried out the intention. Not only was he able to put his body into all possible shapes, but he had extraordinary command of his feathers. He could erect55 them on any one part alone, on the top of the head, the shoulders, the back, or the chin. He often raised the feathers just above the tail, letting that member hang straight down, giving him the appearance of being chopped square off.
The song of this bird is well known and quite celebrated57; indeed, in the Southern States he is called the French mocking-bird, as only second to the mocking-bird proper. My bird never sang above a whisper, one may say; that is, he never opened his mouth to let out the sound, though he was extremely fond of singing, indulging in it by the hour. He hardly paused for eating, or flying, or hopping58 around on the floor, but dropped sweet notes in between the mouthfuls, and kept up the warble through all movements.[Pg 156]
As dusk came on the brown thrush began a wonderful series of postures59, more peculiar and varied60 than one would suppose possible to so large and apparently clumsy a bird. Sometimes he stretched up very tall, then instantly crouched61 as if about to spring; one moment he turned his head downward as though to dive off, then wheeled and faced the other way; now he drew his body out long to a point, head and tail exactly on a level, then head and tail thrust up, making his back the shape of a bow; at one time he threw his head back as though about to turn a back somersault, then scraped his bill, shook himself out, and made the harsh breathing I have spoken off; in another moment he spread his tail like a fan, and instantly closed it again; then turned his head on one side very far, while his tail hung out the other side, and in this odd position jerked himself along by short jumps the whole length of his perch. Between the postures and on every occasion he scraped his bill violently. Next began movements: first he ran down his three perches, across the floor, and hopped56 to the upper one from the outside, touching his feet to the wires as he went, so rapidly that my eyes could not follow him; then he alighted on the perch with a graceful62 flop63 of one wing, sometimes also bowing his head several times,[Pg 157] and uttering the breathing sound each time. Again he jumped from the upper perch to one directly under it, and returned the same way by a very peculiar motion: standing on the lower perch, he turned his head over his shoulder, and sprang back and up at the same time, landing in exactly the same position on the perch above, with perfect ease and grace.
Nothing pleased the thrasher more than watching other birds; he observed them closely, especially liking64 to stand on top of a cage and see the life below,—an agitated65 life it was apt to be when he was there. Thus he sometimes stood on the goldfinch's cage and noticed every motion with great interest, yet with an indescribably ironical66 air, as if he said, "My dear sir, is that the way you eat?" He showed particular interest in seed-eating birds, apparently not understanding how they could enjoy such food. Though full of bluster43 and pretense67, he was as gentle as any bird in the room, never presumed on his size as the biggest, and, though liking to tease and worry, never really touching one. The smallest only needed to stand and face him to see that it was all bluster and fun.
All this until spring began to stir his blood and tempt4 him occasionally, after long posturing and many feints, to deliver a gentle dig at[Pg 158] a neighbor's ribs68. Now, too, he began to show interest in out-of-doors, standing on the window sash and looking out, which is a familiar sign that a bird's time to depart has come. In his case I did not consider it necessary to carry him to the park to liberate46 him, for I was sure he could take care of the sparrows and protect himself—and so it proved. When he found himself suddenly on a tall tree in the street, and before he recovered from his surprise, those disreputable birds gathered around him to see what he was like. They soon found out; he quickly recovered himself, made a wild dash that scattered them like leaves before the wind, and then planted himself on a branch to await another attempt. But sparrows, though saucy69, are knowing, and not one came near him again. They had quite satisfied their curiosity, and after a few moments' waiting the brown thrush went on his way rejoicing.
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1
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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4
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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6
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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8
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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10
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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12
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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13
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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14
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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16
posturing
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| 做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 ) | |
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17
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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18
flirting
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
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19
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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20
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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21
hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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22
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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23
sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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24
industriously
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25
hops
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| 跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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26
snip
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| n.便宜货，廉价货，剪，剪断 | |
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27
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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28
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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29
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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30
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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31
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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32
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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33
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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34
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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35
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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36
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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38
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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39
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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40
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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41
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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42
tormentor
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| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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43
bluster
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| v.猛刮；怒冲冲的说；n.吓唬，怒号；狂风声 | |
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44
blustering
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| adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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45
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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46
liberate
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| v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由 | |
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47
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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48
perches
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| 栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼 | |
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49
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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50
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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51
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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52
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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53
postured
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| 做出某种姿势( posture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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55
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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56
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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57
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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58
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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59
postures
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| 姿势( posture的名词复数 )； 看法； 态度； 立场 | |
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60
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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61
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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63
flop
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| n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下 | |
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64
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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65
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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66
ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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67
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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68
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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69
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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