94 STORIES OF BIRD LIFE 



ruined negro cabin. The nesting material consists of 

 twigs, plant stems, dry grasses, pieces of paper, strings, 

 strips of bark, feathers, rags or other suitable articles 

 which can easily be secured. The structure is generally 

 lined with rootlets. The distance at which the nest is 

 placed above the ground varies from three to ten feet. 

 Rarely one may be seen elevated fifty feet in the air on the 

 bough of a large tree. 



The eggs have a pale greenish blue ground-color and 

 are covered quite uniformly with reddish brown spots. 

 Four is the number generally laid in a nest, sometimes five, 

 and rarely six. The one profession of the male in the 

 spring is singing, and so completely does this engross his 

 mind that to his mate is left the entire responsibility of 

 constructing their habitation and hatching the eggs. May 

 is the principal month for nesting, although I have seen 

 mocking birds incubating their eggs as far north as Ocra- 

 coke Inlet by April tenth. In the southern part of its 

 range two broods are reared in a season. 



While engaged in incubation or caring for the young, the 

 nest is guarded with the utmost care. The parents will 

 not hesitate to attack any enemy, real or imaginary, which 

 may approach their domain, be it crow, or dog, or man. 

 If they do not actually assail they will at least approach 

 near and scold soundly. Their cry of alarm at once warns 



