278 THE FARMER AT HOME. 



sportsman is at tines deceived, and sent in quest cl birds that have 

 no existence around. 



The feathered tribes themselves are decoyed by the fancied call of 

 their mates ; or dive with fear into the thicket, at the well- feigned 

 scream of the hawk. Soon reconciled to the usurping fancy of man, 

 the mocking bird often becomes familiar with his master ; playfully 

 attacks him through the bars of his cage ; or at large in a room, rest- 

 less and capricious, he seems to try every expedient of a lively imagi- 

 nation, that may conduce to his amusement. Nothing escapes his 

 intelligent and discerning eye or faithful ear. He whistles perhaps 

 for the dog, who, deceived, runs to meet his master ; the cries of the 

 chicken in distress, bring out the clucking mother to the protection of 

 her brood. The barking of the dog, the piteous wailing of the puppy, 

 the mewing of the cat, the action of a saw, or the creaking of a 

 wheelbarrow, quickly follow, with exactness. He repeats a tune of 

 considerable length; imitates the warbling of the Canary, the lisping 

 of the Indigo bird, and the mellow whistle of the Cardinal, in a man- 

 ner so superior to the originals, that mortified and astonished, they 

 withdraw from his presence, or listen in silence, as he continues to 

 triumph by renewing his efforts. 



In the cage, also, nearly as in the woods, he is full of life and 

 action, while engaged in song ; throwing himself round with inspiring 

 animation, and as it were, moving in time to the melody of his own 

 accents. Even the hours of night, which consign nearly all other 

 other birds to rest and silence, like the nightingale, he often employs 

 in song, serenading the houseless hunter and silent cottager to repose, 

 as the rising moon illuminates the darkness of the shadowy scene. 

 His capricious fondness for contrast and perpetual variety, appears to 

 deteriorate his powers. His lofty imitations of the musical brown 

 thrush, are perhaps interrupted by the crowing of the cock, or the 

 barking of the dog ; the plaintive warblings of the blue bird are then 

 blended with the wild scream and chatter of the swallow or the 

 cackling of the hen ; amid the simple lay of the native robin, we are 

 surprised with the vociferation of the whip-poor-will ; while the notes 

 of the garrulous jay, woodpecker, wren, and many others succeed, 

 with such an appearance of reality, that we almost imagine ourselves 

 in the presence of the originals, and can scarcely realize the fact, that 

 the whole of this singular concert is the effort of a single bird. 



MOLASSES. This is the gross fluid matter remaining of sugar 

 after refining, and which no boiling will bring to a consistence more 

 solid than that of syrup ; hence it is also called syrup of sugar. Pro- 

 perly, molasses is nothing else but the sediments of coarse or .brown 

 sugar, and that is the refuse of other sugars not capable of being 

 whitened and reduced into loaves. Molasses is used in the prepara- 

 tion of tobacco, and large quantities of it are distilled into rum. As 

 well known, it is extensively used as a cheap substitute for sugar and 



