326 NEST OF THE MOCKING-BIKD. 



within the charmed circle of its home duties, and jealously attacks hawk, cat, or snake, 

 in defence of its family. The fiercest war is, however, waged against the black snake, a 

 reptile which makes many a meal on the eggs and young of various birds, and is in no 

 wise disposed to spare those of the Mocking-bird. Against this terrible foe both parents 

 aim their fiercest blows, and it often happens that the snake which has writhed its way 

 to the Mocking-bird's nest in hope of devouring the callow young, pays with its life for its 

 temerity, and falls dead to the ground, while the victor bird pours forth a song of 

 triumphant congratulation. The nest is always placed at a short distance from the ground, 

 being seldom seen at an elevation of more than eight feet. 



The materials of which the nest is composed are generally dried weeds and very slender 

 twigs as a foundation ; straw, hay, wool, dried leaves, and moss, as the main wall ; and fine 

 vegetable fibres as the lining. The eggs are four or five in number, and there are often 

 two broods in the course of the year. The colour of the eggs is greenish-blue, spotted with 

 amber-brown. 



To bring up a young Mocking-bird is rather a difficult task, as it must be taken from 

 the nest at a very early period of its life, and therefore requires the most unremitting 

 attention. In the work of Mr. Webber, so often mentioned, is a very interesting account 

 of the successful rearing of four very young Mocking-birds. They had been cruelly taken 

 out of their nest by some mischievous and hard-hearted person before they had opened 

 their eyes on life, and left to die on a small piece of carpeting. Mr. Webber and his 

 sister happening to look at the nest, which they had long watched, discovered the poor 

 little things lying cold and apparently lifeless on the carpet. He, however, found that the 

 tiny hearts were still beating, and after inducing his sister to place them in her bosom, 

 rode homewards at full speed. The rest of the story shall be told in his own words. 



" We were at home, and we passed hurriedly into the garden. I called a little brother 

 to join us ; in a moment we were all three standing beneath the eaves of the summer- 

 house. There was a small hole in the cornice of the eaves, and I knew that in this 

 a pair of blue birds had nested, and supposed that they must be just about hatched now. 

 My sister stood watching my proceedings with great anxiety, for they were entirely 

 mysterious to her. She saw me take my little brother aside and whisper my directions to 

 him ; then the little fellow prepared to climb up the columns of the summer-house, and 

 with my assistance reached the cornice. His little hand was inserted into the hole, and 

 with the greatest care not to touch either the sides of the hole or the nest within, he 

 daintily plucks out the young ones, one by one, and hands them down to me. They are 

 the same age with the Mocking-birds, but smaller. 



' Now, Sis, give me those little ones ; and huriy, dear, for I am afraid the old ones, who 

 have gone out for food, will come back.' 



She is so flurried she does not realize what I am about to do, but hastily places the 

 young birds, now warm and fully alive, in my hand. They are reached to my brother. 

 ' Drop them in quick, quick ! and come down. Jump ! I'll catch you.' 



Down he comes, and then after my whispering something more to him, he snatched the 

 young blue-birds from my hand, and ran off among the shrubbery. At this moment we 

 heard the sweet, clear warble of the blue-birds, and I drew my sister a short distance 

 away, where, from behind a tall rose-bush, we could watch the proceedings of the old birds. 



'What does all this mean, brother? what do you expect?' she asked, in a low, puzzled 

 voice, for she did not know that the young blue-birds had been taken out so dexterously 

 had we managed, and only understood that her charge had been transferred to the nest. 



' Brother, you surely can't expect that little blue-bird to take care of eight young ones 

 your fairy will have to help, sure enough ! ' 



' Hush ! hush !' said I, all eagerness, for, with an insect in its mouth, one of the old 

 birds, twitting merrily, had alighted near the hole, and without hesitation glided in, and 

 in a moment or two came forth again, without seeming to have observed that there was 

 anything wrong. My heart beat more freely, for I saw that the insect had been left 

 behind, clearly, in the throat of one of the intruders for the bird plumed himself gaily 

 outside, as if happy in having performed a pleasant duty. But this was the male bird. 



