BIRDS, RESIDENT AND MIGRATING. 95 



Ghillecothe near the river, where there is the proper food for 

 them to eat, and birds enough for them to torment by their 

 sqalling noise. We have the cat-bird of two species, snipes, 

 and the real ortolan. 



We have four species of thrush, but the brown one deserves 

 our special notice for his singing, and his imitative powers. 

 He delighted once to live along the Scioto river, among the 

 great variety of feathered songsters, that then dwelt along 

 the banks of the Scioto. As we have often, more than twenty 

 years since, while travelling in the then v/oods along the banks 

 of the Scioto, stopped awhile to hear him sing, and see him 

 act his several comedies and tragedies ; it seems no more 

 than right to give our readers some idea of his several per- 

 formances on such occasions. This Shakspeare among birds, 

 seats himself on some tree, where the greatest variety of all 

 sorts of birds dwell, and makes it his business to mock and 

 disappoint them. Hence, his common name of mocking- 

 bird. Having seated himself in a proper place, he listens in 

 profound silence to the songs of the several sorts of birds 

 around him. In the vernal season he makes the love call of a 

 female of some near neighbor, with heart-stirring melody, 

 until the males come in flocks to caress their loved mate, 

 when lo! no such lovely bird is there. They find instead of 

 the lovely fair one, a homely brown thrusli. Having succeed- 

 ed in imposing on one species, he proceeds to play off similar 

 " tricks upon other travellers." He continues his play, until 

 he is satisfied with his own mischief and his neighbors' disap- 

 pointments. 



When the other birds have young ones, he watches their 

 nests, until the parents have left them in quest of food, when, 

 seating himself near their domiciles, he imitates the scream 

 of the hawk or some other bird of prey. If the parents heed 

 this scream and come home, very well, but if not heeded by 

 them, he proceeds to imitate the voice of the young ones in 

 the utmost distress and agony. He utters their shrill cry and 

 their dying groan, when the aflfrighted and afflicted pa- 

 rents come flying in the utmost haste and trepidation to re- 



