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Show The Luii puny e of Anlmnls. Mock anger seems to be rather common among birds. Tfiero Is In them, wheu caged, some suppressed excitement or fury, especially in the spring. Every one who knows a parrot knows that a perfectly per-fectly reciprocal fondness Ib no protection against his bite. Tho one d know bites his best friend deeply, and roars with laughter. The little birds use a kind of flirtation of defiance with the overwhelming overwhelm-ing power of those they know Intimately. A skilled bird tamer, I behove, puts his hand into the cage, and, when the bird moves, withdraws it hurriedly, as if ln fear. This invites the bird to a contempt which becomes the foundation for familiarity, famil-iarity, and the device Is founded, I suppose, sup-pose, on that adventurous and provocative provoca-tive spirit In the bird which prompts the bullfinches to scold and bully tho master whose favors they value. Does a puppy bark and snap in play in something like the same temperV I might mention a f oldfmch I know, which, I think, never ails to distinguish its partial mistress from all others by an outburst of swearing swear-ing and rufiling. London Spectator. |