BIRDS OF THE NIGHT. 291 



making progress northwardly; so that fifty years hence 

 each of these birds may be common in the New England 

 States. The ]\Iocking-Bird is familiar in his habits, fre- 

 quenting gardens and orchards, and perching on the roofs 

 of houses when singing, like the common Eobin. Indeed, 

 tliis bird owes much of his popularity to his familiar and 

 amiable habits. Like the Robin, too, a bird that sings 

 at all hours except those of complete darkness, he is a 

 persevering songster, and seems to be inspired by living 

 in the vicinity of man. In his manners, however, he 

 bears more resemblance to the Eed-Thrush, being dis- 

 tinguished by his vivacity and his courage in repelling 

 the attacks of his enemies. 



The ]\Iocking-Bird is celebrated throughout the world 

 for his musical powers; but it is difficult to ascertain 

 precisely the character and quality of his original notes. 

 Some naturalists affirm' that he has no notes of his 

 own, but confines himself to imitations. That this is an 

 error, all persons who have listened to his native wild 

 notes can testify. I should say, from my own observa- 

 tions, not only that he has a distinct song, peculiarly his 

 own, but that his best imitations will bear no compari- 

 son with his native notes. His common habit during 

 the day is to utter frequently a single strain, hardly dis- 

 tinguishable from that of the Eed-Bird, and similar to 

 that of the Baltimore Oriole. This seems to be his 

 amusement while busy with the affairs of his own house- 

 hold and providing for their wants. It is only when con- 

 fined in a cage that he is constant in his mimicry. In 

 liis native woods, and especially at an early hour in the 

 morning, when he is not provoked to imitation by the 

 notes of other birds and animals, he sometimes pours out 

 his own wild notes with uninterrupted fervor. Yet I 

 have often listened vainly for hours to hear him utter 

 anything more than a few idle repetitions of monoto- 



