THE MOCKIXCx BIRD. 367 



disturbed. It is even asserted l)y some of our bird dealers, that tlie old 

 ones will actuallj' destroy the eggs, and poison the young, if either the one 

 or tiie other have been handled. But I cannot give eredit to this unnatural 

 report. I know, from my own experience at least, that it is not always 

 their practice ; neither have I ever witnessed a case of the kind above men- 

 tioned. During the period of incubation, neither cat, dog, animal, nor man 

 can approach the nest without being attacked. The cats, in particular, are 

 persecuted whenever they make their appearance, till obliged to retreat. 

 But his whole vengeance is most particidarly directed against that mortal 

 enemy of his eggs and young, the black snake. Whenever the insidious 

 approaches of this reptile are discovered, the male darts upon it with the 

 rapidity of an arrow, dexterously eluding its bite, and striking it violently 

 and incessantly about the head, where it is very vulner.able. The snake 

 soon becomes sensible of its danger, and seeks to escape ; but the intrepid 

 defender of his young redoubles his exertions, and, unless his antagonist be 

 of great magnitude, often succeeds in destroying him. All its pretended 

 powers of fascination avail it nothing against the vengeance of tliis noble 

 bird. As the snake's strength begins to flag, the mocking bird seizes and 

 lifts it up partly from the groiuid, beating it with his wings; and when the 

 business is completed, he returns to the repository of his young, mounts the 

 summit of the busii, and jiours out a torrent of song in tt)ken of victory. 



"The plumage of the mocking bird, though none of the homeliest, has 

 nothing gaudy or brilliant in it, and had he nothing else to recommend him, 

 would scarcely entitle him to notice ; but his figure is well proportioned, and 

 even handsome. The case, elegance, and rapidity of his movements, the 

 animation of his eye, and the intelligence he displays in listening and laying 

 up lessons from almost every species of the feathered creation within his 

 hearing, are really surprising, and mark the peculiarity of his genius. To 

 these qualities we may add that of a voice full, strong, and musical, and 

 capable of almost every modulation, from the clear, mellow tones of the 

 wood thrush to the savage scream of the bald eagle. In measure and accent 

 he faithfidly follows his originals. In force and sweetness of exjiression he 

 greatly improves upon them. In his native groves, mounted on the top of a 

 tall bush or half-grown tree, in the dawn of dewy morning, while the woods 

 are already vocal with a multitude of warblers, his admirable song rises pre- 

 eminent over every competitor. The ear can listen to his music alone, to 

 which that of all the others seems a mere accompaniment. Xeither is this 

 strain altogether imitative. His own native notes, which are easily distinguish- 

 able by such as are well acquainted with those of our vari(His song birds, are 

 bold and full, and varied seemingly beyond all limits. They consist of short 

 expressions of two, three, or at the most five or six syllables, generally inter- 



