MIMIC THRUSHES 



prome effort, he slowly floats on quivering, beat- 

 iiia; pinions down through the bloom-covered 

 branches until, his fervor spent, he sinks to the 

 ^jround below. His expanded wings and tail 

 flashing with white in the sunlight and the buoy- 

 ancy of his action appeal to the eye as his music 

 captivates the ear. On moonlit nights at this 

 season the inspired singer launches himself far 

 into the air, filling the silvery spaces of the night 

 with the exquisite swells and trills, liquid and 

 sweet, of his imparalleled melody. The song 

 rises and falls as the powers of the singer wax 

 and wane, and so he serenades his mate through- 

 out the live-long night. One such singer wins 

 others to emulation and, as the chorus grow;, 

 little birds of the field and orchard wake just 

 enough to join briefly in the swelling tide of 

 avian melody. 



The Mockingbird seldom holds himself aloof 

 from mankind, but often makes himself at home 

 in the door-yard, sits on the chimnev top and. 

 like the Robin in the North. " knows all the 

 folks." The negroes close the shutters of their 

 cabins at night, but they say that the Mocker 

 " sings down the chimney." Often the nest is 

 placed in shrub or hedge close by the house, and 

 as soon as the young are hatched the parents 

 take pains to proclaim their whereabouts that 

 all may know. Therefore, the young, which are 

 in demand as cage birds, frequently are taken 

 and sold into captivity. 



The Mockingbird has many traits that endear 

 it to all. It is brave and devoted, attacking birds 



twice its size, dogs, cats, and even man himself 

 in defense of its young. Its cries of alarm give 

 warning to all other birds nearby. When kindlv 

 treated it may even come in at the door or 

 window. Thus it has won for itself a high place 

 in the regard and affection of the Southern 

 people. Edward Howe Forrusii. 



Photo by J. U. FieW 



NEST OF MOCKINGBIRD 

 Often it is placed in shrub or hedge near the house 



it 



The Western ^lockingbird ( Miiiiiis polyglottos 

 Icncopteriis) is just a paler, larger, and more 

 bufify edition of its eastern congener. Through- 

 out its range through southwestern United States 

 and northern Mexico it exhibits the same traits 

 that have won for the species a scientific name 

 which translated means " many-tongued mimic." 



CATBIRD 

 Dumetella carolinensis ( LiiiinTus) 



:\ n I'. Number 70J 



Other Names. — Chicken Birrl ; Cat Flycatcher; 

 Slate-colored Mockingbird; Black-capped ThrlI^h. 



General Description. — Length, 8^4 inchc;. Pluin- 

 age. slate-gray with black on crown, wings, and tail. 

 Bill, much shorter than head, nearly straight to near 

 tip, where gradually curved downward ; wings, moder- 

 ately long and rounded ; tail, slightly longer than win.g. 

 decidedly rounded, the feathers narrowly rounded 

 terminally. 



Color. — Crown, black, or slate-black, the forehead 

 slate-gray, rear of crown or nape, sometimes more 

 sooty ; tail, black, the feathers edged with slate-gray 

 basally ; wings, slate-black with broad slate-gray edg- 

 ings (nearly concealing the darker color) ; under tail- 

 covcrts, chestnut: rest of pluma,ge, plain slate-gray, the 

 upper surface darker, or more nearly slate color : bill, 

 black ; iris, brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Xkst : Rather bulky, made of dry 

 leaves, twigs, roots, and grasses, lined with line root- 



See Color PLite loi 



lets and grass ; placed in bushes, trees or thickets usu- 

 ally within 10 feet of tlie grounrl. Eor.s : 4 to 6. 

 rarely latter number, plain, deep bluish-green, luuch 

 darker colored than the Robin's. 



Distribution. — Temperate North America in gen- 

 eral, but wanting in most of region south of the Colum- 

 bia River and west of Rocky Mountains; north to 

 Nova Scotia, southern Maine, New Hampshire, Ontario, 

 Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Coluinbia ; west to 

 and including Rocky Mountains, in Montana. Idaho. 

 Wyoming, Colorado. New Mexico, and Utah, and in 

 Oregon and Washington to the Pacific coast (acci- 

 dentally to Farallon Islands, California) ; breeding 

 southward to northern Florida and along Gulf coast 

 to east-central Texas ; winterin.g from Southern States 

 (occasionally Middle States) southward to Bahamas. 

 West Indies, and through eastern Mexico and Central 

 .America to Panama; resident in Bermuda: accidental 

 in Eurojie. 



