THE MOCKINGBIRD 



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nients, hopping and darting about, up, down and sidewise. If 

 the Mocker feels well, he sings as he darts about, as jerkily 

 and impulsively as he moves. 



The Mockingbird loves to sing almost as well as some 

 persons love to hear him. His typical song is a bewildering 



CATBIRD. 



medley of warbling, chirping and twittering, many passages 

 being very clever imitations of other birds, but the majority 

 of it is improvised for the occasion. Next to the marvellous 

 variety of his vocal exercises are the clearness and sweetness 

 of his notes; for this singer never sharps or flats. The 

 amount and variety of the melody that come from that in- 

 significant little gray midget in feathers are truly marvellous. 

 Every person who has heard the free, wild bird performing in 

 its home thicket knows that the singing of caged specimens is 

 but a spiritless imitation of the wild song. 



