354 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



Pennsylvania and New York, they always give it a southern 

 exposition, and take care to line it with wool or cotton. Their 

 movements are uncommonly graceful ; their song is sweet ; 

 they migrate in winter towards more southerly regions, Mexico 

 or Brazil, and return after the equinox to the United States. 



The Cassiques, which are nearly related to the troopials or 

 orioli, are no less remarkable for their architectural skill. They 

 suspend their large pendulous nests, which are often above four 

 feet long, at the extremities of branches of palm trees, as far 

 as possible from all enemies that might by climbing reach the 

 brood, often choosing, for still further protection, trees on which 

 the wasps or maribondas have already built their nests, as these 

 are adversaries whose sharp stings no tiger-cat or reptile would 

 desire to face. The nest of the Cassicus cristatus is arti- 

 ficially woven of lichens, bark-fibres and the filaments of the 

 tillandsias, while that of the tupuba {Cassicus ruber), which is 

 always suspended over the water, consists of dry grasses, and 

 has a slanting opening in the side, so that no rain can penetrate 

 it. On passing under a tree, which often contains hundreds of 

 cassique nests, one cannot help stopping to admire them, as 

 they wave to and fro, the sport of every storm and breeze, and 

 yet so well constructed as rarely to be injured by the wind. 

 Often numbers of one species may be seen weaving their nests 

 on one side of a tree, while numbers of another species are 

 busy forming theirs on the opposite side of the same plant, 

 and what is, perhaps, even still more wonderful than their 

 architectural skill, though such near neighbours, the females 

 are never observed to quarrel ! 



The Cassicus Persicus, a small black and yellow bird, some- 

 what larger than the starling, has been named the mocking- 

 bird, from his wonderful imitative powers. He courts the 

 society of man, and generally takes his station on a tree close 

 to his house, where for hours together he pours forth a succes- 

 sion of ever-varying notes. If a toucan be yelping in the 

 neighbourhood, he immediately drops his own sweet song, and 

 answers him in equal strain. Then he will amuse his audience 

 with tlie cries of the different species of the w^oodpecker, and 

 when the sheep bleat he will distinctly answer them. Then 

 comes his own song again, and if a puppy "dog or a guinea fowl 

 Interrupt him, he takes them off admirably, and by his different 



