THE MOCKING-BIRD. 167 



himself in dry sand and earth, and bathing, washing, and dressing 

 himself, he would proceed to hunt insects, such as beetles, crickets, 

 and other shelly tribes ; but, being very fond of wasps, after catch- 

 ing them, and knocking them about to break their wings, he would 

 lay them down, then examine if they had a sting, and, with his 

 bill, squeeze the abdomen to clear it of the reservoir of poison 

 before he would swallow his prey. When in his cage, being very 

 fond of dry crusts of bread, if upon trial the corners of the crumbs 

 were too hard and sharp for his throat, he would throw them up, 

 cany and put them in his water-dish to soften, then take them out 

 and swallow them.' " 



By the first week in October, the Brown Thrush departs 

 on its southern migration, and passes the winter in the 

 West Indies and Mexico. 



MIMUS, BOIE. 



Mimus, BOIE, Isis (Oct., 1826) 972. (Type Turdus polyglottus.) 

 Bill shorter than the head, decurved from the base, distinctly notched at 

 tip; tarsi longer than the middle toe; lateral toes equal, not reaching the base of 

 the middle claw, and shorter than the hind toe, the claw of which is half the total 

 length; tail variable, equal to or longer than the wings, moderately graduated; 

 wings rounded, the exposed portion of the first nearly or quite half that of the 

 second, which is considerably shorter than the third. 



MIMUS POLYGLOTTUS, Boie. 

 The Mocking-bird 



Turdus polyglottus, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 293. Wilson, Am. Orn., II. 

 (1810) 14. Aud. Orn. Biog., I. (1831) 108; V. (1839) 438. 

 Mimus polyglottus, Boie. Isis (Oct., 1826), 972. 

 Orpheus polygkttus, Swainson. Zool. Jour., III. (1827) 167. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Third to sixth quills nearly equal, second shorter than seventh ; tail considerably 

 graduated, above ashy -brown, the feathers very obsoletely darker centrally, and 

 towards the light plumbeous downy basal portion (scarcely appreciable, except when 

 the feathers are lifted) ; the under parts are white, with a faint brownish tinge, 

 except on the chin, and with a shade of ash across the breast; there is a pale super- 

 ciliary stripe, but the lores are dusky ; the wings and tail are nearly black, except 

 the lesser wing coverts, which are like the back, the middle and greater tipped with 

 white, forming two bands, the basal portion of the primaries white, most extended 

 on the inner primaries; the outer tail feather is white, the second is mostly white, 



