THE O, & O. SEMI-ANNUAL. 3 
WR 
Mockingbirds are brave in attacking cats that attempt to ap- 
proach their nests. They will often astonish a dog by unexpect- 
edly alighting on his back and administering a sharp peck. 
Flight: With exception of the Robin the birds comprised in 
this group are not addicted to continued flight ; they fly easily, in 
a straight line, and move the wings moderately rapid. As far 
as I have observed, they hop when on the ground. 
Song: Of the thrushes found here only the Mockingbird sings 
while with us, but all the others sing during the summer when in 
the north. The ‘*Mocker” sings mostly during the spring—sel- 
dom at other times. He sings all day and sometimes all night (I 
have heard him at midnight and at 3 o’clock a. m.) The Mock- 
ingbird imitates very many sounds that it hears and also has many 
original notes ; its song consists of a blending of these songs of 
other birds with its own notes 
If a Mockingbird is kept near any song bird for some time it 
will imitate it. Mocking birds seldom imitate the notes of the 
Woodpeckers, but aman in Austin kept a number of young birds 
near a Woodpecker’s nest and as soon as they began to sing they 
commenced calling like the Woodpeckers. Favorites with the 
Mockingbird, are the Blue Jay (himself a mimic) the Scissor- 
tailed Flycatcher and Tufted Tit. He will imitate the cries of 
young chicken or other like sounds. I have never heard him 
mimic a cat or dog, but no doubt he can do it. Only the male 
birds sing—in cages the females do not sing, aid I suppose that 
they do not sing butside. The notes of the Mockingbird are to 
be distinguished from the notes of the other birds he mimics, 
not by the sound, for they are exact reproductions, but by the 
fact that he utters them but two or three times before discarding 
them for others. One of its favorite notes isthe cry of the young 
birds for food. It is a shrill ‘‘ee-ee--ee,”and one often hears and 
old ‘‘gray-head” stop in the middle of his melody to squall like 
a hungry youngster. 
Food: Wood Thrush, mixed diet, insects and seeds. 
American Robin, almost wholly grainivorous ; feeds on cedar, 
china and hack-berries and winter grapes. 
Mocking-bird, feeds mostly on berries—poke, china and_ hack- 
berries, Pialieacied and grapes. They eat some fruit, taking a 
bite from a peach or plum, but they do little damage. A few in- 
sects are also eaten. 
Brown Thrasher, seeds, small snail shells are often found in its 
‘crop’ ; no insects have been found by me. 
Fy 
