164 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
and South America, and may be traced from New 
England to Brazil ; but he is a somewhat shy bird 
in the Northern States. 
“ The mocking-bird is nine and a half inches 
long, and usually of a dark, brownish ash-color on 
the upper parts. The wings and tail are nearly 
black, and many of the feathers in these parts are 
tipped with white. His proper notes are very much 
like those of the brown thrush, but they are even 
sweeter, more rapid, and have greater variety. 
“As to his acquired notes, there is no end to 
them ; and he can imitate all other birds so contin- 
uously that a bystander would suppose he was lis- 
tening to the whole feathered tribe at once. He 
really seems to enjoy displaying his powers, and 
often deceives the sportsman by sending him in 
search of birds that may not be within miles of 
him, but whose notes he exactly imitates ; even 
birds themselves are frequently imposed on by this 
admirable mimic, and are decoyed by the fancied 
calls of their mates, or dive with precipitation into 
the depth of thickets at the scream of what they 
suppose to be the sparrow-hawk. 
“ ‘ The mocking-bird loses little of the power and 
energy of his song by confinement. In his domesti- 
cated state, when he commences his career of song it 
is impossible to stand by uninterested. He whistles 
