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NATURE STUDY REVIEW [8:7— Oct., 191^ 



Mocking Bird at the Taule ; White Crowned Sparrow in 



Background. 



one or more would take a large piece of bread and fly to the 

 ground, where several other birds would give chase and a noisy 

 scramble would ensue. On this afternoon the birds were, as 

 usual, in a large flock about the bird table. No sooner had one 

 of them alighted and begun to feed than there swooped down 

 among them, scattering them in all directions, a mischievous 

 mockingbird. Now, though the sparrows drive away other birds, 

 they make no resistance when the mocker appears. He is mon- 

 arch of all he surveys. After standing in the very center of 

 the table for a minute, without even a pretense of eating, with 

 a flirt of his long expressive tail, he flew to a nearby fence, his 

 back toward the bird table. Very soon the sparrows began to 

 assemble again and their cheerful, happy notes filled the air. 

 But though Mr. Mocker's back was turned, his eye was upon 

 them. He waited until they were reassured and eating, and then, 

 with a quick turn and flight, he was again in their midst. Again 

 there was a scattering of small birds. This program was kept up 

 for half an hour, and those who observed it could not help but 

 feel that the mockingbird thought it a good joke to scare these 

 smaller birds and that he acted as feathered policeman just for 

 the fun of it. 



Los Angeles. Calif. 



