" I.ISTEN TO THE MOCKING-BIRD." 9 



next summer." If she does, anywhere in New England 

 south of Aroostook, she will find the bird, or, according to 

 Audubon, at least, it ought to be found, mingling mayhaps 

 in some remote mountain glen, its soulful song with L,ong- 

 fellow's " Sweetly ov^er the village the bell of the Angelu.5 

 sounded." 



Even in the land of Evangeline was found this pert, 

 happy bird — so said, at least, in the days of George II., i. 

 e., "The Mocking-bird." The Minius polyglottus, or, as 

 written by Charleton, Ray and Catesby, the Mock-bird, 

 and by Bonaparte, Mocking-bird, and passing "critical 

 inspection" by all the world's best ornithologists, is still, 

 as Audubon says, " accepted king of all Earth's choir," 

 and Wilson, " The elfish Mocker swells." Every poet 

 who has essayed to convey in words the " emotions felt " 

 has been about as successful as a Master's description of 

 Praxiteles' Cnidian Venus. They are all (or may be) 

 grand, delightful and enchanting. Enough of this — 

 "souled emotions " cannot be pictured, cannot be circum- 

 ferenced with words. 



The tradition of the American indigenes, wrapped in 

 the beautiful and sea-shell-sounding language of the 

 Wako, as translated by our Charles Winterfield, fails to 

 give a satisfactory negative from the original, and that is 

 saying a "good deal." Maurice Thompson, naturalist 

 and State Geologist (Ind.), author of "Byways and 

 Bird Notes," portrays very powerfully the "song pow- 

 ers" of this " Kikewee of the Delaware," in his descrip- 

 tion of its " Sinking Song." The Editor may be able to 

 get the book for any one wanting it. The author is now 

 dead. I don't recall the publisher's name. The best of 

 all I have yet seen along the line indicated was written by 

 Richard Henry Wilde, born at Baltimore in 1789, member 

 of Congress from Georgia, held the professorship of law 

 in the University of lyouisiana, and died at New Orleans 



