122 BIRDS OF MAINE. 



County Records. Androscoggin, "fall migrant" (Walter's Birds of 

 Androscoggin County, p. 6) ; Cumberland, "irregularly abundant in the 

 inland towns in autumn, a flock of two dozen was observed in Westbrook, 

 May 15, 1889" (Norton) ; Franklin, "not common" (Lee & McLain) ; 

 Knox, "migrant" (Rackliff) ; Peuobscot, "common some falls, rare 

 others" (Knight); Piscataquis, "common migrant" (Homer); Somerset, 

 "common migrant" (Morrell) ; Washington, "common migrant" (Board- 

 man). 



Family TROGLODYTID^E. Wrens, Thrashers, etc. 



Subfamily MIMIN^E. Thrashers. 



Germs MIMUS Boie. 



296. (703). Mimus polyglottos (Linn.). Mockingbird. 



Although many Mockingbirds have been taken in the state, still 

 it seems very evident that they must have all originally been cage- 

 birds which escaped from captivity. While reliable observers have 

 reported seeing these birds at liberty, and, even in midwinter, 

 observed the same individuals for many successive days or weeks, 

 still the very fact that such a southern bird should be here in winter 

 shows that its presence is due primarily to human agency. While 

 specimens have been taken which show no signs of ever being in 

 captivity, still we would not expect such indications of former 

 days of captivity to persist in case they had been free for several 

 weeks. In The Auk for April, 1897, Mr. N. C. Brown records a 

 specimen which was seen at Portland, January 19, and at intervals 

 until February 15, while four days later one of Mr. Brown's neigh- 

 bors saw it. This was beyond a doubt an escaped cage-bird, 

 although Mr. Brown states that it showed no evidences of former 

 captivity. Such evidences would be difficult to detect in a living 

 bird at some distance from the observer. I have been at great 

 difficulty to detect proofs of former captivity in skins of escaped 

 birds when actually in my hands. 



County Records. Cumberland, "have one, an escaped cage bird, taken 

 at Gorham, August 12, 1890" (Norton), "one seen at Portland, January 

 19 February 19, 1897" (Cf. Brown, Auk, April 1897, p 225) ; Kuox, 

 "one taken in February (Rackliff), "have one shot at Vinalhaveu, Febru- 

 ary 1891, an escaped cage bird" (Norton); Oxford, (Nash) ; Piscataquis, 

 "one shot in Mouson, October 20th,, 1884, did not seem to have been a 

 caged bird" (Homer) ; Washington, "one observed near Calais in 1870" 

 (Boardmau). 



