18 MOCKING-BIRD. 
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 inces- 
santly 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 pre- 
tended 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 it 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 after 
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 tipped with brown. The white of the primaries also 
extends equally far on both vanes of the feathers. In the female the 
white is less pure, spreads over only seven or eight of the primaries, 
does not extend so far, and extends considerably farther down on the 
broad than on the narrow side of the feathers. The black is also more 
of a brownish cast. 
The young birds, if intended for the cage, ought not to be left till 
they are nearly ready to fly ; but should be taken rather young than 
otherwise ; and may be fed, every half hour, with milk thickened with 
Indian meal; mixing occasionally with it a little fresh meat, cut or 
minced very fine. After they begin to eat of their own accord, they 
ought still to be fed by hand, though at longer intervals, and a few 
cherries, strawberries, &c, now and then thrown in to them. The same 
sort of food, adding grasshoppers and fruit, particularly the various 
kinds of berries in which they delight; and plenty of clear fine gravel, 
is found very proper for them after they are grown up. Should the 
bird at any time appear sick or dejected, 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 
