1 66 MOCKINGBIRD. 



if much disturbed. It is even asserted by some of our bird 

 dealers, that the old ones will actually destroy the eggs, and 

 poison the young, if either the one or the other have been 

 handled. But I cannot give credit to this unnatural report. 

 I know, from my own experience, at least, that it is not 

 always their practice ; neither have I ever witnessed a case 

 of the kind above mentioned. During the period of incuba- 

 tion, neither cat, dog, animal, nor man, can approach the 

 nest without being attacked. The cats, in particular, are 

 persecuted whenever they make their appearance, till obliged 

 to retreat. But his whole vengeance is most particularly 

 directed against that mortal enemy of his eggs and young, 

 the black snake. Whenever the insidious approaches of 

 this reptile are discovered, the male darts upon it with 

 the rapidity of an arrow, dexterously eluding its bite, and 

 striking it violently and incessantly about the head, where 

 it is very vulnerable. The snake soon becomes sensible of 

 its danger, and seeks to escape ; but the intrepid defender of 

 his young redoubles his exertions, and, unless his antagonist 

 be of great magnitude, often succeeds in destroying him. All 

 its pretended powers of fascination avail it nothing against 

 the vengeance of this noble bird. As the snake's strength 

 begins to flag, the mocking bird seizes and lifts it up partly 

 from the ground, beating it with his wings ; and when the 

 business is completed, he returns to the repository of his 

 young, mounts the summit of the bush, and pours out a 

 torrent of song in token of victory. 



As it is of some consequence to be able to distinguish a 

 young male bird from a female, the following marks may be 

 attended to, by which some pretend to be able to distinguish 

 them in less than a week afier they are hatched. These are, 

 the breadth and purity of the white on the wings, for that on 

 the tail is not so much to be depended on. This white, in a 

 full-grown male bird, spreads over the whole nine primaries, 

 down to, and considerably below, their coverts, which are also 

 white, sometimes slightly tipt with brown. The white of the 



