92 
TURDUS POLYGLOTTUS. 
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 ; hut his figure is well proportioned, 
and even handsome. 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 expres- 
sion, 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 hold 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 
interspersed with imitations, and all of them uttered 
with great emphasis and rapidity ; and continued, with 
undiminished ardour, for half an hour, or an hour, at a 
time. His expanded wings and tail, glistening with 
white, and the buoyant gaiety of his action, arresting 
the eye, as his song most irresistibly does the ear, 
he sweeps round with enthusiastic ecstasy — he mounts 
and descends as his song swells or dies away ; and, as 
my friend Mr Bartram has beautifully expressed it, 
