66 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



vigorously in the sunshine, on the topmost boughs of a tall tree 

 in an exposed situation. 



Haepoehynchus RUFUS (Cabanis.) Broiun Tlirush.— This fine 

 songster, whose note always reminds me of our own thrush, 

 ariives in spring; but whether a few remain all the winter 

 or not, I am not sure. ]. have seen it as early as the 18th March, 

 with snow on the ground, and a cold north wind, in very wintry- 

 looking weather, but they do not become common for a month 

 later. One generally sees it flitting about near the ground, among 

 thick bushes. The nests I have taken have always been in 

 situations of this kind, in thick tangled places. Its life is pro- 

 tected by law on account of its fine voice, but it has a very bad 

 reputation for pulling up sprouting corn. It is in my opinion 

 the best songster in Virginia, even the mocking bird cannot 

 compete with it as a vocalist. 



MiMUS POLYGLOTTUS (Boie.) Mocldng-hivd. — It is now a 

 permanent resident, being found all through the winter, which 

 formerly I am told was not the case. Although it builds, and 

 spends its life, generally in the close vicinity of the homestead, 

 I have always found it very distrustful about its carefully con- 

 cealed nest, and prone to desert it on slight provocation. It is 

 generally believed among the negroes, that if young mocking 

 birds be confined in a cage, although the parent birds will feed 

 them at first, and exhibit the greatest anxiety to procure them 

 their liberty, yet when they find that this is impossible, they 

 invariably bring them something which poisons them. Unfor- 

 tunately I have never been able to decide this by experiment. 

 As an imitator of the notes of other birds, and sounds with which 

 it is familiar, it is certainly unequalled by anything I have ever 

 heard, although in this respect some individuals are much more 

 jn'olicient than others. In listening to an accomplished mocking 

 bird one hears the most vivid impersonation of the songs of many 

 birds, the chirping of young chickens, the cry of the little sparrow- 

 hawk, the twitteiing of a flock of partridges, followed by their 

 frightened scream as a hawk clashes amonc: thcra, this last 

 performance is a great favourite with ihe mocking bird, who 

 seems to enjoy dwelling upon a scene which he has probably 

 often witnessed. Perhaps the nervous excitement, caused by the 

 tragedy which he has beheld from the safe shelter of some thick 



