MOCKING-BIRD. 233 



many a morning, when the first tints of 

 light were struggling into being, in the 

 grey and misty looking east, while the 

 stars were yet peering from their shadowy 

 homes down on the quiet abodes of man, 

 and raising my window suffered the cool 

 breeze to steal through my heated apart- 

 ment. Suddenly, while I sat in reverie, 

 the distant scream of an eagle burst on 

 my ear, and I started up, putting aside 

 the branches of flowers which stood on 

 the window-ledge, and gazed far away 

 round the blue horizon to catch a glimpse 

 of the royal bird. Then came the mellow 

 song of the Robin, the "hear beauty, hear," 

 of the Blue-bird, the fifing "whittoo, wittu, 

 vittu," of the Scarlet Cardinal, and the 

 shrill cry of the Kildeer, "killdee, killdee," 

 which is given as it flutters wildly around 

 the head of the intruder in the vicinity of 

 his nest. Then came the "weet-weet" of 

 the Spotted Sandpiper, followed in the 

 same breath by the hoarse guttural "caw, 

 caw," of the Crow, and then the low, 

 20* 



