STRANGE MOCKERY 41 



back. Again the loud, incisive notes rang 

 out, sounding even less birdlike than before ; 

 and casting my eyes toward the quarter 

 whence they came, I was astounded to see 

 that they were produced by a bird perched 

 on the top twig of the tallest spruce. In an 

 instant our glasses were up, but so far away, 

 and against a white cloudy sky, he was un- 

 recognizable. Whoever he might be, he was 

 evidently proud of his achievement, for he 

 stood there in plain sight, and repeated his 

 mockery, till he had every white-throat in 

 the neighborhood wild, singing at the top 

 of his voice, though not one of them could 

 compete with him in power. 



But who could this wonderful mimic be ? 

 Hopeless of identifying him that evening, 

 we went home completely mystified, resolved 

 to return in the morning to hunt him down. 

 Long after I reached the house I heard his 

 loud, penetrating notes, though not another 

 bird-voice reached me from that distance. 

 Moreover, I found a white-throat near home 

 so excited that he could not sleep, for three 

 or four times during the night, which was 

 very dark, I heard him utter his song. 



