78 
THE MOCKING-BIRD. 
stillness of a moonlight night, when all ia 
silent in the forest, and every bird has gone 
to roost ; then the mocking-bird begins, and, 
like the nightingale, sings the whole night 
through. 
He is an admirable mimic, and very mis- 
chievous withal, and loves to play tricks 
upon his feathered neighbours. He will 
scream like a hawk, and then they will hide 
themselves, and fancy their enemy is upon 
them ; or he will imitate the call of the 
birds to their mates, and draw them off their 
nests. Even the sportsman is often led 
astray by him ; and goes in search of birds 
that are hundreds of miles away, fancying 
they are close at hand. In fact, there is no 
end to the mimicking powers of the mocking- 
bird ; and the ancient Mexicans very properly 
called him by a hard name, that means " four 
hundred languages.'' 
Besides being a musician and a mimic, the 
mocking-bird is, in his way, a hero. He fights 
obstinate battles with the black snake, the 
inveterate enemy of the forest birds ; for the 
black snake loves to suck their eggs, and devour 
their young ones. 
