232 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



tinned to feed tliem until they were able to 

 take care of themselves. 



Mr. Gosse, in his history of the Birds of 

 Jamaica, gives an amusing account of the 

 mocking bird, which, as the two birds belong 

 to the same family, is not out of place here. 

 The hogs, it seems, are the creatures which 

 give this bird the most annoyance. They are 

 ordinarily fed upon the inferior oranges, the 

 fruit being shaken down to them in the eve- 

 ning. Hence they acquire the habit of resort- 

 ing to the orange tree to wait for a lucky wind 

 fall. The mocking bird, feeling nettled at the 

 intrusion, flies down, and begins to peck at the 

 hog with all its might. Piggy, not understand- 

 ing the matter, but pleased with the thing, 

 gently hes down and turns up his broad side 

 to enjoy it. The poor bird gets into an agony 

 of distress, pecks and pecks again, but increases 

 the enjoyment of the intruder, and is at last 

 compelled to give up in despair. 



Birds belonging to this genus are some- 

 times, though I think rarely, taught a variety 

 of cunning tricks. Mr. Barber, a friend of 

 mine residixig in the city of jSTew York, tells 

 me that he once owned a mocking bird who 

 would play with hkn like a child. The bird, 

 among other amusing tricks, would feign that 



