66 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER 



ster mocked. Far from it. I have 

 sometimes thought that it would be 

 easier to name the birds that this vo- 

 calist does not mock than those he 

 does. 



The call of the California jay was 

 shouted forth even as that blue tyrant 

 shouts it ; also another, longer, note of 

 the same bird was given. The "Pip, 

 pip," in imitation of the purple finch 

 who was foraging in the yard and also 

 giving the note, reminded me what 

 an indication the song of the mocking- 



bird is of presence of certain birds in 

 the neighborhood. I have sometimes 

 thought that a keen observer could al- 

 most tell when the summer birds have 

 arrived by listening to this bird's song. 

 It would seem that out of sight was 

 out of mind with this mimic, since 

 through the winter months the notes 

 of the winter birds and those that are 

 more commonly about are heard. But 

 no sooner has the black-headed gros- 

 beak returned from his southern so- 

 journ, and commenced his beautiful 

 song, than a portion of it is taken up 

 and woven into his own effort by this 

 versatile bird. "Whit-we-a, whit-we- 

 a, Sweet Marie," he shouts from the 

 tree top that the passer by may fully 

 appreciate his wonderful ability. The 

 orioles with their noisy chatter come 

 in for their share of attention as does 

 also the Arkansas kingbird with his 

 rapidly given, "Whita, whita, Avhita." 

 Many birds having single notes that 

 would not be noticed by any 

 save one very familiar with bird 

 music, are used by the mocking-bird, 

 being woven into his song as if they 

 were his very own. The nasal twang- 

 ing note of the western gnatcatcher is 

 a notable one, the shrill whistle of the 

 brewer blackbird, the "Pheb" of the 

 black pheobe, the liquid note of the 

 phainopepla, and the wierd note of the 

 wood pewee are others. 



One of the most triumphant vocal- 

 istic feats of the mockingbird in my 



MOCKING BIRD AT BIRD TABLE 



