174 
MOCKING BIRD. 
expect to lose one out of ten of them. Cleanliness, and 
regularity in feeding, are the two principal things to be 
attended to ; and these rarely fail to succeed. 
The eagerness with which the nest of the Mocking Bird is 
sought after in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, has rendered 
this bird extremely scarce for an extent of several miles round 
the city. In the country round Wilmington and Newcastle, 
they are very numerous, from whence they are frequently 
brought here for sale. The usual price of a singing bird is 
from seven to fifteen, and even twenty dollars. I have known 
fifty dollars paid for a remarkably fine singer ; and one instance 
where one hundred dollars were refused for a still more extra- 
ordinary one. 
Attempts have been made to induce these charming birds 
to pair, and rear their young in a state of confinement, and 
the result has been such as to prove it, by proper management, 
perfectly practicable. In the spring of 1808, a Mr Klein, 
living in North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, partitioned off 
about twelve feet square in the third story of his house. This 
was lighted by a pretty large wire-grated window. In the 
centre of this small room he planted a cedar bush, five or six 
feet high, in a box of earth, and scattered about a sufficient 
quantity of materials suitable for building. Into this place, a 
male and female Mocking Bird were put, and soon began to 
build. The female laid five eggs, all of which she hatched, 
and fed the young with great affection until they were nearly 
able to fly. Business calling the proprietor from home for 
two weeks, he left the birds to the care of his domestics; and, 
on his return, found, to his great regret, that they had been 
neglected in food. The young ones were all dead, and the 
parents themselves nearly famished. The same pair have 
again commenced building this season, in the same place, and 
have at this time, July 4, 1809, three young, likely to do well. 
The place might be fitted up with various kinds of shrubbery, 
so as to resemble their native thickets ; and ought to be as 
remote from noise and interruption of company as possible, 
