578 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



ter near Portland one was under observation more or less 

 from January nineteenth to February nineteenth. Though 

 the species has been known to breed in Massachusetts, this 

 would seem very likely the nearest to Maine that the species 

 has approached of its own accord. 



My acquaintance with the Mockingbird in southern Cal- 

 ifornia was quite extensive, and some observations of it near 

 Marlin, Texas, have gone to show me that its habits there were 

 somewhat different from those of the California birds. Of 

 course primarily and everywhere the male Mockingbird is a 

 songster during the nesting season. Mounted on top of a 

 "prickly pear," in a live oak, orange tree, elder or some other 

 suitable perch, he sings for hours. The song now partakes 

 of certain characters of that of the Catbird, again of that of 

 the Brown Thrasher, the California Thrasher and others of 

 the same family, while again snatches of almost every other 

 song bird appear in the Mocker's repertoire, and I have even 

 been deceived into thinking I heard the cry of the Valley 

 Partridge when it was really this mimic. The song is uttered 

 with much the same style and gusto as that of the Catbird or 

 Brown Thrasher, but is of course more variable and involves 

 snatches of melody taken from other birds. 



When perched the Mockingbird reminds one not distantly 

 of the Loggerhead Shrike, but the manner of flight is different. 

 The species can adapt itself to a great variety of conditions. 

 On the driest mesas of southern California I have found the 

 species nesting in the sage bushes. Along the slopes of the 

 dry caiions I have found them placing their nests in the spiny 

 plants of " prickly pear " and " chollas " cactus. In the moist 

 river bottoms I have found them nesting in alders, live oaks 

 and other trees, while in the orange groves they readily build 

 in the orange trees. In Texas they seem to prefer the various 

 orchard and hedgerow shrubbery near Marlin. 



The nest is very similarly built, no matter whether it is 

 placed eighteen feet from the ground in a tree or only two or 



