90 TURDUS POLYGLOTTUS. 
line straws, hay, pieces of wool and tow ; and, lastly, 
a thick layer of fine fibrous roots, of a light brown 
colour, lines the whole. The eggs are four, sometimes 
five, of a cinereous blue, marked with large blotches of 
brown. The female sits fourteen days ; and generally 
produces two brood in the season, unless robbed of her 
eggs, in which case she will even build and lay the 
third time. She is, however, extremely jealous of he'r 
nest, and very apt to forsake it if much disturbed. It 
is even asserted by some of our bird dealers, that the 
old ones will actually destroy the eggs, and poison the 
young, if either the one or the other have been handled. 
But I cannot give credit to this unnatural report. I 
know, from my own experience, at least, that it is not 
always their practice ; neither have I ever witnessed a 
case of the kind above mentioned. During the period 
of incubation, neither cat, dog, animal, or man, can 
approach the nest without being attacked. The cats, 
in particular, are persecuted whenever they make 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 incessantly 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 pretended 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 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 
