HAUNTS OF THE MOCKING-BIRD. 13 



but strikingly, almost startlingly, individual' 

 and unique. The bird appeared to be dying 

 of an ecstasy of musical inspiration. The 

 lower it fell the louder and more rapturous 

 became its voice, until the song ended on the 

 ground in a burst of incomparable vocal power. 

 It remained for a short time, after its song 

 was ended, crouching where it had fallen, with 

 its wings outspread, and quivering and pant- 

 ing as if utterly exhausted ; then it leaped 

 boldly into the air and flew away into an ad- 

 jacent thicket. 



Since then, as I have said, three other op- 

 portunities have been afforded me of witness- 

 ing this curiously pleasing exhibition of bird- 

 acting. I can half imagine what another 

 ode Keats might have written had his eyes 

 seen and his ears heard that strange, fascL 

 nating, dramatically rendered song. Or it 

 might better have suited Shelley's powers of ex- 

 pression. It is said that the grandest bursts of 

 oratory are those which contain a strong trace 

 of a reserve of power. This may be true ; but 

 is not the best song that wherein the ■ voice 

 sweeps, with the last expression of ecstasy, 

 from wave to wave of music until with a su- 

 preme effort it wreaks its fullest power, thus 

 ending in a victory over the final obstacle, as 

 if with its utmost reach ? Be this as it may, 

 whoever may be fortunate enough to hear the 

 mocking-bird's "dropping song," and at the 

 same time see the bird's action, will at once 

 have the idea of genius, pure and simple, sug- 

 gested to him. 



The high, beautiful country around Talla- 

 hassee, in Middle Florida, is the paradise of 

 mocking-birds. I am surprised to find this 



