262 
THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
duce his utmost effect, so perfect are his imita¬ 
tions. He many times deceives the sportsman, 
and sends him in search of birds that perhaps 
are not within miles of him, but whose notes 
he exactly imitates; even birds themselves are 
frequently imposed upon by this admirable 
mimic, and are decoyed by his fancied calls of 
their mates, or dive with precipitation into the 
depths of thickets at the scream of what they 
suppose to be the sparrow-hawk. 
“ ‘ The mocking-bird loses little of the power 
and energy of his song by confinement. In his 
domesticated state, when he commences his ca¬ 
reer of song, it is impossible to stand by unin¬ 
terested. He whistles for the dog; Caesar starts 
up, wags his tail, and runs to meet his master. 
He squeaks out like a hurt chicken, and the hen 
hurries about with hanging wings and bristled 
feathers, clucking to protect its injured brood. 
The barking of the dog, the mewing of the cat, 
the creaking of a passing wheelbarrow, follow 
with great truth and rapidity. He repeats the 
tune taught him by his master, though of con¬ 
siderable length, fully and faithfully. He runs 
over the quiverings of the canary and the clear 
whistlings of the Virginia nightingale, or red- 
