MOCKING-BIRD. 



17 



jected, a few spiders thrown in to him will generally remove these 

 symptoms of disease. 



If the young bird is designed to be taught by an old one, the 

 best singer should be selected for this office, and no other allowed 

 to be beside him. Or if by the bird organ, or mouth-whistling, it 

 should be begun early, and continued, pretty constantly, by the same 

 person^ until the scholar, who is seldom inattentive, has completely 

 acquired his lesson. The best singing birds, however, in my own 

 opinion, are those that have been reared in the country, and edu- 

 cated under the tuition of the feathered choristers of the surround- 

 ing fields, groves, woods and meadows. 



The plumage of the Mocking-bird, tho none of the homeliest, 

 has nothing gaudy or brilliant in it; and, had he nothing else to 

 recommend him, would scarcely entitle him to notice, but his figure 

 is well proportioned, and even handsome. The ease, elegance and 

 rapidity of his movements, the animation of his eye, and the intel- 

 ligence he displays in listening and laying up lessons from almost 

 every species of the feathered creation within his hearing, are really 

 surprising, and mark the peculiarity of his genius. To these qua- 

 lities we may add that of a voice full, strong, and musical, and ca- 

 pable of almost every modulation, from the clear mellow tones of 

 the Wood Thrush, to the savage scream of the Bald Eagle. In 

 measure and accent, he faithfully follows his originals. In force 

 and sweetness of expression, he greatly improves upon them. In 

 his native groves, mounted on the top of a tall bush or half*grown 

 tree, in the dawn of dewy morning, while the woods are already 

 vocal with a multitude of warblers, his admirable song rises pre- 

 eminent over every competitor. The ear can listen to his music 

 alone, to wliich that of all the others seems a mere accompaniment. 

 Neither is this strain altogether imitative. His own native notes, 

 which are easily distinguishable by such as are well acquainted 

 with those of our various song birds, are bold and full, and varied 

 seemingly beyond all limits. They consist of short expressions of 



VOL. II. E 



