54 DESCRIPTION OF THE MOCKINGBIRD 



winterluff). — Ooucs, Pr. Phila. Acad, xxiii. 1871, 19 (North Carolina). — Parker, Am. Nat. 

 V. 1871, 168. — Boarrfm. Am. Nat. v. 1871, \2l.—Grayso7i, Pr. Bost. See. xiv. 1872, 277 

 <Tre8 Marias Islands).— Mayre. B. Fla. 1872, 16.— Coj^es, Key, 1872, 74, f. l(j.— Allen, Bull. 

 MCZ. iii. 1872, 134 (Kansas).- PMrrfje, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 693.- Cottcs, BNW. 1874, 8.— 

 Merr. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 7, 8, 86.— Coop. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 17.— B. B. (f R. NAB. i. 



1874, 49, fig. pi. iii. f. A.—Hensh. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 91.— Brew. Pr. Bost. See. xvii, 



1875, 438 (.New England).— i/fi7JsA. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid. 1876, 151. 



Orpheus polyglOttllS, Sw. Zool. Journ. iii. 1827, \Q~.—Aud. Syn. 1839, %1.—Aud. BA. ii.l841, 

 187, pi. 138.— I>eany, PZS. 1847, 38.—Gerhardt, Naum. iii. 1853, 37 (aong). — Wailes, Rep. 

 Mississippi, 1854, 3W.—Pratte)i, Tr. 111. Agric. Soc. 1855, 601 (Illinois).— Henry, Pr 

 Phila. Acad. vii. 1855, 310 (New Mexico). 

 Merinus polyglOttUS, Baird, Ives' Rep. Colorado, pt. vi. 1861, 5 (lapsu). 

 Orpbeus leucopterus, Fj>. Zool. Voy. Bloss. 1839, 18. 

 Mimus leucopterus, Baird, Stansbury's Rep. GSL. 1852, 328. 

 Orpheus polygOthUS, Putn. Pr. Essex lust. i. 1856, 224 (lapsu). 

 Mimus CanadatUS, Baird, BNA. 1858, 345 (err. for "caudatus"). 

 Mimus caudatUS, Xant. Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1359, 191 (California).— Ooo/;. Am. Nat. iii. 1369, 



186.— Coop. Pr. Cal. Acad. 1870. 75. 

 Mimus polyglOttUS rnr-. caudatUS, Coues, ibis, 1865, 533 (Arizona). — Zif'rf^. Bull. Essex last. 



V. 1873, 179 (Colorado). 

 Oreoscoptes montanus!, Coues, Ibis. 1865, 164 (lapsu). 

 Mimic Thrush, Penn. AZ. ii. 1785, 333, no. 194 and 194 B (young). 

 Mocliingbird, Vulg. 

 Merle moqueur, French. 

 SpottTOgel, German. 



Hab. — United States, southerly, from Atlantic to Pacific. North regu- 

 larly to the Middle States, sometimes to Massachusetts and Wisconsin. 

 Northerly portions of Mexico. Cuba ? 



Ch. sp. S 9 Griseus, infra sordkle alb us ; alls fuscis spatio 

 alho, Cauda fusco alhoque dimidiatd, rostro pedibusque nigr'is. 



$ , adult : Upper parts ashy-gray, the lower i^arts soiled white. Wings 

 blackish-brown, the primaries, with the exception of the first, marked with 

 a large white space at the base, restricted on the outer quills usually to half 

 or less of these feathers, but occupying nearly all of the inner quills. The 

 shorter wbite spaces show as a conspicuous spot when the wing is closed, 

 the longer iuner ones being hidden by the secondaries. The coverts are also 

 tipped and sometimes edged with white ; and there may be much edging or 

 tipping, or both, of the quills themselves. Outer tail-featliers white ; next 

 two pair white, except on the outer web ; next i)air usually white toward 

 the end, and the rest sometimes tipped with white. Bill and feet black, the 

 former often pale at the base below ; soles dull yellowi-sh. Length about 10 

 inches, but rangingfrom 91 toll; extent about 14 (13 to 15) ; wing,4-4J; tail, 

 4^-5; bill, J; tarsus, 1^. 



9 , adult : Similar to the male, but the colors less clear and pure ; above 

 rather brownish than grayi.sh ash, below sometimes quite brownish-whitej 

 at least on the breast. Tail and wings with less white than as above de- 

 scribed for the male. But the gradation in these features is by impercepti- 

 ble degrees, so that there is no infallible color-mark of sex. In general, the 

 clearer and purer are the colors, and the more white there is on the wings 

 and tail, the more likely is the bird to be a male and prove a good singer. The 

 female is also smaller than the male on an average, being generally under 



