BOYHOOD AND BIEDS. 89 



admiral, and are decoyed by the fancied calls of their mates ; 

 or dive, with precipitation, into the depths of thickets, at the 

 scream of what they suppose to be the sparrow-hawk." 



It is one of the most striking of the exulting attitudes of 

 this bird described by Bartram and Wilson above, that my 

 wife has selected for her figure of the Southern variety 

 for upon the question of the existence of the two varieties, 

 my mind has long been distinctly made up in spite of the 

 opinion expressed by Mr. Wilson, and coincided in by Au- 

 dubon. 



Wilson says upon this subject 



" Many people are of opinion that there are two sorts, the 

 large and the small mocking bird ; but after examining great 

 numbers of these birds in various regions of the United 

 States, I am satisfied that this variation of size is merely ac- 

 cidental." 



As the purpose of this volume is not to include technical 

 controversies, I shall waive any further discussion of this 

 question for the present merely giving it as my decided 

 opinion, that what I have named the Kentucky mocking bird 

 is a distinct variety from what I have called the Southern 

 mocking bird. 



