TL'UmD.E — THE TllUL'.SlIES. 



49 



(^f tliis genus tliere are many .si>eeies in America, althon^Oi lait one occurs 

 within tlie limits of the Tnited States. 



The single North American species M. poff/(//otf«fs is ashy hrown above, 

 white Ijeneath; wings and tail black, the former much varied with white. 



Mimus polyglottus, 1>oik. 



MOCXIHG-BnU). 



Turdiis TH>ht<jlottm, Li\N. Syst. Nut. l(»th ed. 17r>8, !♦?!>; 12th od. 1766, 293. — J//wj //.< 

 p>/i/>jluttu.s, B..IK, Isis, 1S26, 972.— S< i.atki:, I'. Z. S. iS.jO, 212. — Ib. 1859, 340.— 

 In. C'atal. 1861, 8, no. 51. — Baiki*, Birds N. Am. 1858, 344. — In. Kev. 48.— 

 Samikls, 167. — I'oopEii, Birds Cal. I, 21. — (JrxDLArn, UcjH-rtorio, 1865, 230 (Cuba). 

 — DnKssKU, Ibis, 186.5, 230. — Coue-s Pr. A. X. Sc. 1866, 65 (Arizona), f Orjyheus 

 Inioififi rus, Vi(;oi;s, Z»m)1. Bt'iM-hcy, 1839. 



Fi;,'un's : Wilson, Am. Orn. II, 1810, pi. x, tij,'. 1. — AUD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, pi. xxi. — 

 III. Birds Anur. II, 1841, pi. 137. 



Sr. C'liAiJ. Thinl and fourth quills lonirost ; second about e(iual to eighth ; the first 

 lialt'or more than half the second. Tail considerably <rradnated. Above ashy brown, the 

 tratln'is very obsolt'tcly darker centrally, and towards the light phunbeous downy basal 

 p«»rtion (scarcely ajiprecialde, except wiicn the fcatluTs are lifted). The under parts are 

 white, with a fiiint brownish tinge. excci)t on the chin, and with a shade of ash across 

 the breast. Tlicie is a pale snj>ereiliary stripe, but the lores are dusky. The wings and 

 tail are dark brown, nearly black, t'xcept the lesser wIng-coverts, which are like the back; 

 the middle and greater tipped with white, forming two bands; the basal portion of the 

 primaries white ; most extended on the inner primaries. The outer tail-feather is white, 

 sometimes a little mottled : the second is mostly white, except on the outer web and 

 towards the base: the third with a white spot on the end; the rest, except the middle, 

 very .slightly or not at all tipped with white. The bill and legs are black. Length, 9.50; 

 wing, 4..'>0 ; tail, .').(X). 



Yountj. Similar, but distinctly spotted with 

 dusky on the l)re.iST, and obsoletelv on the back. 



Hab. North America, from about 40° (rare 

 in Massachusetts. Samuels), south to Mexico. 

 Said to occur in Cuba. 



The Mocking-Birds are closely allied, 

 requiring careful comparison to distin- 

 guish them. A near ally is J/, orphtts, 

 of Jamaica, but in this the outer feather 

 is white, and the 2d, :kl, and 4th tail- 

 feathers are marked like the 1st, 2d, and 

 ,*5d {.){ poljitjlottna, respectively. 



AVe have examined one hundred and 

 fourteen specimens, of the present species, 

 the series embracing large numbers from 

 Florida, the llio CJrande, Cape St. Lucas, and Mazatlan, and numerous 



s}>ecimens from intermediate localities. The sliglit degree of variation 



»" 

 t 



Mimus polys:lottus. 



