ISSUED IN BEHALF OF THE SCIENCE WHICH IT ADVOCATES. 



Volume III, 



DECEMBER, 1877. 



Number 10. 



Nesting of the Mocking Bird (Mi- 

 mus polyglottus.) 



HIS bird is so rare in New England 

 that it might as well be included in 

 the list of accidental visitors ; it is, 

 however, occasionally known to breed here, 

 as Mr. Allen has several times found the 

 nest in the vicinity of Springfield, Mass. 



The time of breeding varies greatly ac- 

 cording to locality. For instance, Wilson 

 says, " In the lower parts of Georgia, he 

 commences building early in April, but in 

 Pennsylvania, rarely before the tenth of 

 May," and Mr. Allen found the nest and 

 three fresh eggs in June. While visiting 

 at the smaller towns along the St. John's 

 River, Florida, 1 found this bird one of the 

 commonest there. Everywhere he was to 

 be heard, and although he seemed to prefer 

 the vicinity of the farm house, yet I have 

 often met him in the deep woods and swamps 

 miles from any habitation. On the 7th of 

 January, while walking in a small patch of 

 woods, near Jacksonville (Fla.), I startled 

 a female from a young live-oak tree, by 

 happening to brush against it. She at once 

 began a terrible scolding and was presently 

 joined by the male, who added his cries to 

 hers, and darted about and near me so much 

 that I came to the conclusion they must 

 have a nest near me, in defiance of the ex- 



treme earliness of the season, although for 

 the last three weeks, it had been very warm 

 weather. I consequently looked around, 

 and at last into the young tree from which 

 the female had flown, and to my extreme 

 surprise, there was the nest and three eggs. 

 During the rest of my stay in Florida, I 

 was continually on the lookout for nests, 

 and succeeded in finding one more of this 

 species, with two eggs, on the 10th of Jan- 

 uary. Both of these nests were within three 

 feet of the ground, and the latter was plac- 

 ed in a wild grape-vine, entirely concealed 

 from view. I discovered it in the same 

 manner as the other one : by the bird's dis- 

 tress. 



The nests were coarse and bulky, and 

 hardly differed from northern specimens. 

 They were composed of, first, a layer of 

 twigs and stems, then a layer of dead leaves 

 and weeds, and lined with fine twigs, root- 

 lets and Spanish moss. The eggs of the 

 two nests had the same general appearance, 

 and were of a grayish-blue, marked with 

 spots and blotches of brown and ferrugine- 

 ous and obscure lilac ; they measured .96 

 by .71 inch for the largest measurements, 

 and .91 by .66 inch for the smallest. The 

 female sits fourteen days, and two broods 

 are reared in a season. 



To recount here all of his notes or at- 

 tempt to describe his exquisite song, would 

 be simply a work of supererogation, altho' 



