298 



Trees, Stars, and Birds 



Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 FIG. 182. A bird bath. 



THE MOCKING BIRD 



The mocking bird is the most 

 famous singer among American birds, 

 rivaling, if not surpassing, the sky- 

 lark of Europe. It sings at all times 

 of the day and on moonlight nights, 

 and its song is so loud that every- 

 body in the Southern states is 

 familiar with it. Its ability to 

 mimic various kinds of birds differs 

 greatly with individual mocking birds. 

 Formerly thousands were trapped and 

 sold for cage birds, but this is now 

 unlawful. 



Description of the mocking bird. The body of a 

 mocking bird is about the same length as that of a robin, 

 but its tail is longer than the robin's. The under parts 

 are soiled white, the back is ashy, and the wings and tail 

 are dusky, set off by white patches which are conspicuous 

 when the bird flies. Mocking birds are found chiefly 

 in our Southern states, but individuals are occasionally 

 seen as far north as Michigan and Massachusetts, even in 

 winter. They are more common on the plantations and 

 in towns than in wild places. 



Food of the mocking bird. Like the catbird, the 

 mocking bird is fond of fruit. It eats various wild berries, 

 such as those of the holly, pokeberry, and elder. Culti- 

 vated raspberries and blackberries and other cultivated 

 fruit form only a small part of its food. Nearly half its 

 food consists of insects, including grasshoppers, cucum- 

 ber beetles, cotton-boll weevils, and cotton-leaf worms. 



