THE MOCKING-BIRD. 



HE MOCKING-BIRD is called 

 the prince of Californian birds. 

 He is rather lordly, and some 

 think him a tyrant. He scolds 

 when he has to, but more to hear his 

 own voice than to harm any one. He 

 likes to "look cross" at the other birds and see 

 them dodge into the bushes. He does n't usually 

 u mean anything" by it; for they come out of their 

 hiding-places and eat from the same tree or bush 

 or garden-table with that selfsame mocker that 

 scolded them. 



As soon as his little fit of temper is over, away 

 flies the mocker to the 

 chimney top and makes 

 apologies in his sweetest 

 notes to all the birds he 

 scolded so. And if a dog 

 or cat or hawk puts in an 

 appearance, he is the first 

 to give the alarm, following 

 the enemy, without fear for 



84 



REFERENCE TOPICS. 



Cats as enemies of young 

 birds. 



How cats catch their 

 prey. 



"Why lizards drop their 

 tails when caught. 



" Glass-snakes." 



Horned toads. 



Climate as affecting dis- 

 tribution of animals. 



