FAMILY Mimidee. 



Mockingbird is brownish gray; upper parts ashen gray, 

 lower parts dull white or gray-white, the throat a little 

 clearer, wings mostly dull sepia black with a distinct 

 white bar, i.e. the basal portion of the primaries which, 

 in flight, show a broad white patch; outer tail feathers 

 mostly white, the extreme feather entirely so, upper sur- 

 face of the tail sepia-black. Nest of coarse twigs, roots, 

 grasses, and bits of cotton, lodged in thickets and orange 

 trees. Egg, pale green-blue heavily flecked with brown. 



The notes of the Mockingbird are very similar to t hose 

 of the Brown Thrasher but are subject to greater variation, 

 and in large part are imitations of the notes of other birds. 

 The song of the bird in captivity is not essentially different 

 from that in its wild state. In the far South the singing 

 begins in February and continues unremittingly through 

 all the spring, quantity rather than quality characterizing 

 the exuberant music which swings absolutely clear of 

 confining scales. In a word, it is untrammeled and wild 

 when it is not in distinct imitation of another singer. The 

 song is occasionally heard in the vicinity of New York 

 and Boston. Mr. Henry W. Porter writes to me, "In 

 April, 1912, a pair of Mockingbirds was observed in Quincy , 

 Mass. ; they stayed through the following summer and 

 into the winter. The next spring they came again, but 

 disappeared and have not been seen since. They fre- 

 quented a thicket perhaps two hundred yards from the 

 nearest house somewhat swampy, with a little brook 

 running through, and a pine grove nearby. The nest was 

 never found ; but the birds used to come up near the houses 

 and sing." 



American Our Robin is unrelated to the English Robin 



Robln Redbreast (Erythaca rubecula), and is a bird 



m;<rtoria of distinctly different character and habits. 

 L. 10.00 inches Nor is he very similar in coloring. Head 

 Marchioth.or sepia- black ; upper parts slate gray; tail 

 11 the year sepia -black, the outer feathers with a 

 white spot at the tip ; eyelids and a spot above the eye 

 white ; throat white flecked with black ; under parts 

 ruddy burnt sienna ; extreme under parts white. Female 

 similarly but lighter colored ; the head slate gray. Nest 



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