ON THE CATTLE RANGES. 83 



dog's tail. For some reason the bird seemed 

 to regard any hoisting of the setter's tail as a 

 challenge and insult. It would flutter near 

 the dog as he walked ; the old setter would 

 become interested in something and raise his 

 tail. The bird would promptly fly at it and 

 peck the tip ; whereupon down went the tail 

 until in a couple of minutes the old fellow 

 would forget himself, and the scene would be 

 repeated. The dog usually bore the assaults 

 with comic resignation ; and the mocker 

 easily avoided any momentary outburst of 

 clumsy resentment. 



On the evening in question the moon was 

 full. My host kindly assigned me a room of 

 which the windows opened on a great magno- 

 lia tree, where, I was told, a mocking-bird 

 sang every night and all night long. I went 

 to my room about ten. The moonlight was 

 shining in through the open window, and the 

 mocking-bird was already in the magnolia. 

 The great tree was bathed in a flood of shin- 

 ing silver ; I could see each twig, and mark 

 every action of the singer, who was pouring 

 forth such a rapture of ringing melody as I 

 have never listened to before or since. 

 Sometimes he would perch motionless for 

 many minutes, his body quivering and thrill- 

 ing with the outpour of music. Then he 

 would drop softly from twig to twig, until the 

 lowest limb was reached, when he would rise, 

 fluttering and leaping through the branches, 

 his song never ceasing for an instant, until he 

 reached the summit of the tree and launched 

 into the warm, scent-laden air, floating in 

 spirals, with outspread wings, until, as if 



