TURDID.E — TIIK TIIUUrfllES. 51 



ness in a (loniMticatoil state. The miiii^'linjj; of uninusical s< unds, like the 

 cmwiiij^ of t'ocks, the tiuklin;^ of 1 iis, or the creaking of a whet 1 ha now, 

 while they add to the variety, necesiaarily detracts from the beauty of his 



son.Lj. 



The foml of the Mockin^'-liird is chieHy insects, their larvu', worms, 

 spi(U;rs, etc., and in the winter of l>erries, in <^M'eat variety. Tliey are said 

 t<) he very fond of the ^'nqn', antl to 1k3 very destructive to this fruit. Mr. 

 (f. C Tayhjr (Ihis, 1802, i». \'M>) mentions an instance that came to his 

 knowledj^e, of a ])erson living near St. Augu.stine, Florida, who shot no less 

 than eleven hundred Mocking-Birds in a single season, and buried them at 

 the roots of his <j:rape-vines. 



Several successful attempts have been made t(j induce the Mocking-Bird 

 to rear their young in a state of continement, and it has been shown to be, 

 by proper management, perfectly practicable. 



In Texas and Florida the Mocking-Bird nests early in March, young birds 

 api)earing early in A])ril. In (li'orgia and the Carolinas they are two weeks 

 later. In Pennsylvania they nest about the lt>th of May, and in New York 

 and New Kngland not until the second week of June. They select various 

 situations for the nest; solitary thorn-bushes, an almost impenetml»le thicket 

 of brambles, an or.inge-trec, or a holly-bush appear to b.' favorite localities. 

 They often build near the farm-houses, and the nest is rarely more than seven 

 feet from the grcjund. The base of the nest is usually a rudely constructed 

 platform of coarse sticks, often armed with formidable thorns surrounding 

 the nest with a barricade. The height is usually 5 inches, with a diameter of 

 «S. The cavity is 3 inches deep and 5 wide. Withui tl e external barricade 

 is an inner nest constructed of soft tine roots. 



The eggs, from four to six in number, vary in length from .94 to 1.06 

 inches, with a mean length of .09. Their breadth varies from .81 to .00 (jf 

 an inch, mean breadth .7-"). They also exhibit great variations in the combi- 

 nations of markings and tints. The ground color is usuallv light greenish- 

 blue, varying in the depth of its shade from a very light tint to a distinct 

 blue, with a slight greenish tin^e. The markings consist of vellowish-brown 

 and purple, chocolate-brown, russet, and a very dark brown. 



Gems GALEOSCOPTES, ( abanis. 



Gitlcoscoptes, C'abams, Mus. Heiu, I, 1S50, 82. (Ty\H' MusciatjHi C(iroliMnsiSf li.) 



Gen. Char. Bill shorter than the hejid. rather hroad at base. Rictwl bristles moderately 

 developed, reachiiifr to the nostrils. Wniirs a little shorter than the tail, rounded . secon- 

 daries well developed ; fourth and lifth quills lonirest : third and sixth little shorter ; first 

 and ninth about equal, and about the lentrth of secondaries ; first quill more than half the 

 second, about half the third. Tail jrraduated ; lateral feather about .70 shorter than the 

 middle. Tarsi loufrer than middle toe and claw by about an additional half-claw ; scutel- 

 late anteriorly, more or less distinctly in dillerent specimens ; .scutelku about seven. 



