MOCKING BIRD. 191 



spiring animation, and, as it were, moving in time to the melody 

 of his own accents. Even the hours of night, which consign 

 nearly all other birds to rest and silence, like the Nightingale 

 he oft employs in song, serenading the houseless hunter and 

 silent cottager to repose, as the rising moon illumines the 

 darkness of the shadowy scene. His capricious fondness for 

 contrast and perpetual variety appears to deteriorate his pow- 

 ers. His imitations of the Brown Thrush are perhaps inter- 

 rupted by the crowing of the cock or the barking of the dog ; 

 the plaintive warblings of the Bluebird are then blended with 

 the chatter of the Swallow or the cackhng of the hen ; amid 

 the simple lay of the native Robin we are surprised with the 

 vociferations of the Whip-poor-will ; while the notes of the 

 garrulous Jay, Wren, and many others succeed with such an 

 appearance of reality that we almost imagine ourselves in the 

 presence of the originals, and can scarcely realize the fact that 

 the whole of this singular concert is the effort of a single 

 bird. Indeed, it is impossible to listen to these Orphean 

 strains, when delivered by a superior songster in his native 

 woods, without being deeply affected and almost riveted to 

 the spot by the complicated feelings of wonder and delight 

 in which, from the graceful and sympathetic action, as well as 

 enchanting voice of the performer, the eye is no less gratified 

 than the ear. It is, however, painful to reflect that these ex- 

 traordinary powers of nature, exercised with so much generous 

 freedom in a state of confinement, are not calculated for long 

 endurance, and after this most wonderful and interesting pris- 

 oner has survived for 6 or 7 years, blindness often terminates 

 his gay career ; and thus shut out from the cheering light, the 

 solace of his lonely but active existence, he now after a time 

 droops in silent sadness and dies. 



The Mocking Bird is a rare but regular summer visitor to Rhode 

 Island, Connecticut, and southern Massachusetts, and examples 

 have been taken in Maine. Mr. Mcllwraith reports that a pair 

 spent the summer of 1883 near Hamilton, Ontario, and C. A. 

 McLennan records in the O. & O. the capture of one near Truro, 

 N. S. The species is chiefly restricted to the Southern States. 



