IMITATION AND MIMICRY. 209 
He adds in a note, that “a negress was once 
heard to exclaim, ‘ Please God Almighty, how sweet 
that mocking-bird sing! he never tire!’ By day and 
night he sings alike; when weary of mocking oth- 
ers, the bird takes up its own natural strain, and so 
joyous a creature is it, that it will jump and dance 
to its own music.” 
By far the most circumstantial account, however, 
of this wonderful bird is given by Wilson in a char- 
acteristically graphic passage. ‘‘ This celebrated 
and very extraordinary bird,” he says, “in extent 
and variety of vocal powers, stands unrivalled by 
the whole feathered songsters of this or perhaps 
any other country; and shall receive from us all 
that attention and respect which superior merit is 
justly entitled to. The plumage of the mocking-bird, 
though none of the homeliest, has nothing gaudy or 
brilliant in it; and, had he nothing else to recom- 
mend him, would scarcely entitle him to notice; 
but his figure is well proportioned, and even hand- 
some. ‘The ease, elegance, and rapidity of his 
movements, the animation of his eye, and the intel- 
ligence he displays in listening and laying up les- 
sons from almost every species of the feathered 
creation within his hearing, are really surprising, 
and mark the peculiarity of his genius. To these 
qualities we may add that of a voice full, strong, 
and musical, and capable of almost every modula- 
tion, from the clear mellow tones of the wood- 
thrush, to the savage scream of the bald eagle. In 
measure and accent he faithfully follows his origi- 
nals; in force and sweetness of expression he 
greatly improves upon them. In his native groves, 
mounted on the top of a tall bush or half-grown 
tree, in the dawn of the dewy morning, while the 
woods are already vocal with a multitude of war- 
blers, his admirable song rises pre-eminent over 
every competitor. The ear can listen to Ais musi¢ 
alone, to which that of oR the others seems a mere 
2 
