168 
MOCKING BIRD. 
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 scholar, who is 
seldom inattentive, has completely acquired his lesson. The 
best singing birds, however, in my own opinion, are those that 
have been reared in the country, and educated under the 
tuition of the feathered choristers of the surrounding fields, 
groves, woods, and meadows. 
The plumage of the Mocking Bird, though none of the 
homeliest, has nothing gaudy or brilliant in it ; and, had he 
nothing else to recommend him, would scarcely entitle him 
to notice ; but his figure is well proportioned, and even hand- 
some. The ease, elegance, and rapidity of his movements, 
the animation of his eye, and the intelligence he displays in 
listening and laying up lessons from almost every species of 
the feathered creation within his hearing, are really surprising, 
and mark the peculiarity of his genius. To these qualities we 
may add that of a voice full, strong, and musical, and capable 
of almost every modulation, from the clear mellow tones of 
the Wood Thrush, to the savage scream of the Bald Eagle. In 
measure and accent, he faithfully follows his, originals. In 
force and sweetness of expression, he greatly improves upon 
them. In his native groves, mounted on the top of a tall 
bush, or half-grown tree, in the dawn of dewy morning, while 
the woods are already vocal with a multitude of warblers, his 
admirable song rises pre-eminent over every competitor. The 
ear can listen to his music alone, to which that of all the 
others seems a mere accompaniment. Neither is this strain 
altogether imitative. His own native notes, which are easily 
distinguishable by such as are well acquainted with those of 
our various song birds, are bold and full, and varied seemingly 
beyond all limits. They consist of short expressions of two, 
three, or, at the most, five or six syllables ; generally inter- 
spersed with imitations, and all of them uttered with great 
