BOYHOOD AND BIEDS. 
89 
admiral, and are decoyed by tlie fancied calls of their mates ; 
or dive, witli precipitation, into the depths of thickets, at the 
scream of what they suppose to be the sparrow-hawk." 
It is one of the most striking of the exulting attitudes of 
this bird described by Bartram and Wilson above, that my 
wife has selected for her figure of the Southern variety — 
for upon the question of the existence of the two varieties, 
my mind has long been distinctly made up in spite of the 
opinion expressed by Mr. Wilson, and coincided in by Au- 
dubon. 
Wilson says upon this subject — 
" Many people are of opinion that there are two sorts, the 
large and the small mocking bird ; but after examining great 
numbers of these birds in various regions of the United 
States, I am satisfied that this variation of size is merely ac- 
cidental." 
As the purpose of this volume is not to include technical 
controversies, I shall waive any further discussion of this 
question for the present — merely giving it as my decided 
opinion, that what I -have named the Kentucky mocking bird 
is a distinct variety from what I have called the Southern 
mocking bird. 
