NATURE LEAVES 



is a series of disjointed quirks and calls, quite sur- 

 prising as vocal feats, but, to my ear, entirely desti- 

 tute of real bird melody. It is a performance, the 

 tricks of a vocal acrobat, and not in any sense a 

 serious, unified song. The bird has much less music 

 in its soul, less of the spirit of self-forgetting joy and 

 praise, than has our little song sparrow. I would 

 rather have one robin, or one song sparrow, about 

 my place than any number of "mockers." Indeed, 

 the more "mockers" there were, the less welcome 

 they would be. It is a polyglot, but not a songster. 

 The mockingbird is a theatrical creature, both in 

 manners and delivery. I have heard it in Jamaica, 

 in Florida, and now in southern California, and I 

 have heard it by night and by day, and I have no 

 good word to say for it. It is a Southern bird and 

 has more the quality of the Southern races than our 

 birds have. Northern birds are quieter, sweeter- 

 tempered, softer-voiced, and more religious in tone. 



IV. AEE THERE COUNTERFEITS IN NATURE? 



One day my son killed a duck on the river that an 

 old gunner told him was a mock duck. It looked 

 like a duck, it acted and quacked like a duck, but 

 when it came upon the table it mocked us. I now 

 recall that it was a "coot," a species of duck not 

 usually eaten. 



The incident led me to thinking whether or not 

 there were really any mock things — any couutcr- 



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