GREAT CAROLINA OR MOCKING WREN. 431 



most pleasing attractions of the scene. Approaching the 

 water-fall, he associates with its murmurs the presence 

 of the King-Fisher, and modulating the hoarse rattle of 

 his original into a low, varied, desponding note, he sits 

 on some depending bough by the stream, and calls, 

 at intervals, in a slow voice, tee-y\lrrh tee-yHrrh, or 

 chr^rWrWli, In the tall trees by the silent stream, he recol- 

 lects the lively, common note of the Tufted Titmouse, and 

 repeats the j?e^o ^e^o^e^o ^ecf, or his peevish Jja^c^ec?ic?, 

 katetedid^ katedid. While gleaning low, amidst fallen 

 leaves and brush-wood, for hiding and dormant insects 

 and worms, he perhaps brings up the note of his indus- 

 trious neighbour the Ground Robin, and sets to his own 

 sweet and liquid tones the simple toioeet toweet toweet. 

 The tremulous trill of the Pine Warbler is then recol- 

 lected, and trWWWWrWli is whistled. In the next breath 

 comes his imitation of the large Woodpecker, i^ozYy woity 

 woity and wotcliy wotcliy lootchy, or tsJiovee tshovee tshqf, 

 and tshooadee tshooadee tshooadect, then varied to tshuvai 

 tshuvai tshuvat, and toovai'iah toovai'iah toovaiiatoo. 

 Next comes perhaps his more musical and pleasing ver- 

 sion of the Blackbird's short song, wottitsliee luottitshee 

 wottitshee. To the same smart tune is now set a cho- 

 sen part of the drawling song of the Meadow Lark,* 

 precede precedo preceet, then varied recede recedo receet 

 and tecedo tecedo teceet ; or changing to a bass key, he 

 tunes sooteet sootect soot. Once, I heard this indefatiga- 

 ble mimic attempt delightfully the warble of the Blue- 

 bird in the month of February. The bold whistle of the 

 Cardinal Bird is another of the sounds he delights to 

 imitate and repeat in his own quaint manner ; such as, 

 vit-yil vit-yu vit-yu, and vishmc vishnu vishnu, then his 

 woitee ivoitee woitee and wiltee wiltee iviltee. Soon after 



* Sturnus ludovicianus. 



