Notes on Birds in vio. wf BBKle-srood 

 N.J. by F.M.Ckapm»B ' 



15. Mimus polyglottos. Mockingbird. — I take from my note-book 

 the following record concerning the breeding of Mockingbirds at Tenafly , 

 N. J., three miles north of Englewood. These notes were given me by Mr. 

 Martin, an old resident of the locality, and are corroborated by Mr.'j. F. 

 Paulison on whose lawn the birds were found nesting. After learning of 

 their occurrence I visited the place on a number of occasions in what 

 proved to be a vain hope of seeing these birds, but so far as known they did 

 not return after the year 1885. Mr. Martin's story as I received it from 

 him January 3, 1886, is substantially as follows : Ten or twelve years ago 

 a pair of Mockingbirds appeared on Mr. Paulison's lawn, but a short dis- 

 tance from Mr. Martin's home; he watched their movements and discov- 

 ered their nest, placed in an evergreen about ten feet from the ground. 

 "When three eggs had been laid the female was killed, a few feathenTfoWd " 

 near the nest suggesting a cat as the probable murderer. The male, how- 

 ever, remained in the vicinity for several weeks, singing at times continu- 

 ously for an hour or more; but apparently becoming discouraged at the 

 non-appearance of his mate, he finally disappeared. Not another bird 

 of this species was observed until May, 1884, when a pair was seen in the 

 same garden and observed constructing a nest in a rose bush. Here thev 

 were undisturbed until their young, four in number, were nearly ready 

 to leave the nest; these young were then taken and successfully raised in 

 confinement. April 17, 1885,3 Mockingbird, presumably the male, was 

 seen in the same locality ; later its mate appeared. The male was frequentl v 

 heard singing, and although the nest was not found, young birds were 

 seen, and there is little doubt that this time they succeeded in raising 

 their brood. So far as I have been able to ascertain the birds have not 

 been observed in the locality since this last-mentioned occurrence. 



