1879. | Rob: A Bird Biography. 363 
catches this little snatch of ‘melody, and executes it in a clear 
distinct enunciation. This is Rob’s best role. Pity that sweet- 
ness should ever cloy, but Rob did give us too much of a good 
thing. Through the summer months, an hour before daylight, 
on the highest key possible, came that piccolo strain, “Wake up, 
pretty boy! Wake up! Wake up!” Bob’s cage was inside the 
window-blinds, and by the time the twilight was breaking up, 
generally several robins had visited the cherry tree near the house, , 
attracted by the singer whom they could not see. 
The prince of the mimics is the mocking-bird. But to some 
degree are not all the thrushes mimics. The cat-bird is really 
clever in this direction. However I own to a surprise on hearing 
that Rob had gone into the mimic art. Whenever our black-and- 
tan, Dick, heard his young master whistle an invitation to take a 
walk with him, the affectionate brute would almost lose his head 
in yelping gladness. It was a beautiful day in June, and Dick 
was seen acting as if half dazed, running up and down the yard 
looking for his master but unable to find him. Rob had learned 
the dog-call, and from. behind the window-blinds was practicing 
his new accomplishment. The dog soon saw the trick and slunk 
away not a little abashed. We all felt that though funny, it was 
really mean of Rob. Our neighbor’s fine hunter was bothered in 
the same way. Rob tried his hand on the call used by Madame 
to her poultry at feeding-time. The attempt did him no credit, 
perhaps for the reason alleged by one.of my sons, that “the 
chickens didn’t know enough to get sold.” But with some folks 
failures are simply the preludes to success. Our mimic had 
grander things in reserve. 
Rob’s successful play upon Dick was not his only attempt at — 
imposition. On one occasion the good lady of the house being 
“up Stairs came running down in great concern, there was such a 
- Cry of distress among the young chickens, “ Peep! peep! peep!” 
in rapid plaint smote her gentle ear. To reach them she had to 
pass Rob’s cage. Here she stopped short, and gave vent to an 
outburst of laughing indignation, for it was Rob, the rascally 
mocker, who was doing his best to set all the maternal hens at 
ears about their babies. Though somewhat perplexed, these 
elderly birds were not very*badly taken in. At another effort 
Rob achieved a marked success; he imitated the cry of the 
mother-hen when the hawk is dvevheadthat low whirring note 
VOL. XIII,.—NO, VI, 26 
