DISTRIBUTION OF THE MOCKINGBIRD 



55 



and rarely over 10 inches in length, with extent of wings usually less thau 

 14, the wing little if any over 4, the tail about 4i. 



Young : Above decidedly brown, and below speckled with dusky. 



There is comparatively little variation in this species except in size. A 

 tendency is seen in specimens from the southwestern parts of the United 

 States to elongation of the tail, this member averaging about.o inches, and 

 sometimes measuring rather more. 





Fig. 6.— The Mockingbird. 



IT is unnecessary to give an extended account of this famous 

 bird, to which full justice has already been done in several 

 treatises which the reader will instantly call to mind; and should 

 he be desirous of looking up the subject, the citations given at 

 the head of this article — representing a small portion of the 

 literature devoted to the Mockingbird — may help him somewhat. 

 The bird is common in suitable situations in the Colorado 

 Basin, and especially so in the lower and warmer portions. 

 Its general range is indicated in a foregoing paragraph. I 

 have refrained from citing the various \Yest India islands 

 which are occupied by subspecies or varieties of the Mocking- 

 bird distinguished by some very modern authors. The Xorth 

 American representative is almost confined to this country, 

 though it also occurs in portions of Mexico, as Colima, Mira- 

 dor, Orizaba, and Mazatlan, as well as the Tres Marias Islands, 

 and perhaps in Cuba. It winters in the Southern States in 



