88 
TURDUS POLYGLOTTUS. 
OENUS XX. — TUnj}L’S, Linnsus. 
89. TUUDUS rOLl'GLOTTVS, lIXNiEUS AND WILSOJf. 
MOCKING 
■VVILSOV, PLATE X. FIG. I. — EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
This celebrated and very extraoi-dinary bird, in extent 
and variety of vocal pou-ers, stand.s unrivalled by th® 
whole feathered soiig-stens of this, or perhap,s any othet 
country ; and shall receive from us, in this place, aH 
that attention and respect which superior merit is iustly 
entitled to. 
Amonjr the many novelties which the discovery o( 
thus part of the western continent first bro^m-ht into 
notice, we may reckon that of the mockin<f bird! 
which IS not only peculiar to the New World, but 
inhabits a very considerable extent of botli North and 
South America ; havinif been traced from the States of 
New England to Brazil ; and also amouy many of tho 
adjacent islands. They are, however, much more 
numerous in those States south, than in those north; 
of the river Delaware ; being- generally inigTatory in 
the latter, and resident (at least many of them) in the 
former. A warm climate, and low country, not far 
from the sea, seem most congenial to their nature! 
accordingly, we find the species less numerous to th« 
west than east of the great range of the Allce-hany, in 
the same parallels of latitude. In the severe winter of 
1808 - 9 , 1 fonnd these bird.s, occasionally, from Fre- 
dericksburg, in Virginia, to the southern parts of 
ueorgia ; becoming still more numerous the farther I 
advanced to the south. The berries of the red cedar, 
m vrtle, holly, Cassine shrub, many species of smilaS, 
together with gum berries, gall berries, and a nrofusioU 
of others with which the luxuriant swampy thickets of 
tho.se regions abound, furnish them with 'a perpetual 
feast. Winged insects, also, of which they are very 
lond, and remarkably ,‘xpert at catching, abound there 
even in winter, and are an additional indiioement to 
residency. Though rather a shy bird in the Northern 
