24 THE ATLANTIC ALMANAC FOR 1869. 
a ae 8 8 RE 
it yet has a liquid mellowness of tone, united with a clearness of 
expression and a volubility of utterance, which cannot be surpassed, 
and hardly approached. The warmth and pathos of its song are 
so truly remarkable as to fill the listener with wonder and de- 
light. | 
We have mentioned several of the more remarkable songsters 
belonging to the family of American thrushes. All the members 
of the several groups to which we have referred are natural sing- 
ers; each possesses its own distinctive song. ‘They are never 
imitative. One remarkable variety remains to be mentioned, 
which we may designate as Mocking Thrushes. So far as we are 
aware, there are but three species of these north of Mexico. 
They were once classed in a single genus, very appropriately 
named Orpheus; but are now separated by systematists, more 
particular than wise, into three distinct sub-genera. These are 
our far-famed Mocking-bird, the Mountain Mocking-bird, and our 
common and familiar Cat-bird. 
Those who have never enjoyed the privilege of listening to the 
song of the Mocking-bird, pure and uncontaminated with imitations 
of the grosser sounds of cities and large towns, can form but a 
very inadequate conception of the wonderful beauty and variety, 
or of the rapid transitions, with which it will present in a few 
seconds the songs of an almost innumerable number of other 
birds. Our city-bred performer is wont to injure the beauty 
and the harmony of its concert by a grotesque intermixture of 
strange and inharmonious sounds. The crowing of a cock, the 
creaking of wheels, the scream and rattle of the distant locomo- 
tive, and other rude sounds from the streets, will often be heard 
blending with its sweetest notes. Yet nothing can well be im- 
agined more marvellous in its beauties than the song—if we 
may use so poor and inexpressive a term —of this bird, when 
reared among its own native Alleghanies. It bears but a very 
faint resemblance to the medley, wonderful as that may be in its 
variety, of the demoralized Mocking-birds of our cities. 
.The Mocking-bird is found from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but is 
very rarely met with so far to the north as any part of New Eng- 
land, though occasionally a pair may be found breeding in Massa- 
chusetts. It iscommonin Cubaand in Mexico. A warm climate, 
a low country, and the neighborhood of the sea, appear to be 
congenial to their nature. In the extreme Southern States they 
remain throughout the year, approaching the farm-houses in win- 
ter, living in the shelter of gardens and out-buildings, and often 
may be seen perched upon the roofs of houses or on chimney- 
tops. They are always full of life and animation, and in the 
milder days of midwinter are often heard singing with all the life 
and spirit of midsummer. The Mocking-bird is distinguished 
by the grace and easy rapidity of its movements, as well as by its 
great intelligence. Its voice is strong, full of power, and yet at 
the same time wonderfully flexible, admitting of every conceiv- 
able modulation, from the shriek of the locomotive to the softest 
warblings of the Bluebird. The wonderful exactness of their 
imitations must be familiar to most of us. In their added sweet- 
ness and energy, its notes very often far surpass their originals. 
The natural notes of the Mocking-bird are described, by those 
familiar enough with the song of other birds to distinguish them, 
as bold and full, and varied almost beyond all limitation. They 
consist of brief expressions, of a few syllables, generally inter- 
spersed with imitations, and are delivered with great emphasis 
and yolubility. 
The vocal powers of this bird are not confined in their exhibi- 
tions to the day. Both in their wild state and in their caged life, 
on bright moonlit nights, they will make their neighborhood 
ring with their inimitable melody, throughout the entire night. 
Any one who may have had occasion to pass the hours designed 
for slumber in the same chamber with one of these irrepressible 
songsters will be likely to remember and appreciate this peculi- 
arity. 
No bird is more readily reconciled to confinement than the 
Mocking-bird, when reared from the nest. The writer once pos- 
sessed one of these birds, which he had obtained, when a mere 
fledgling, in the market of Washington. It was perfectly domes- 
ticated, and was permitted to enjoy the entire freedom of the 
house. It would come at call, alight on the finger, and obey cer- 
tain commands with all the alacrity and intelligent obedience of 
a well-trained dog. ; 
The Mountain Mocking-bird has only been found in the moun- 
tainous regions of the Pacific coast, from Mexico to Oregon. It 
frequents the arid plains of that part of the country, and its 
notes have been heard and described only by the few naturalists 
whom love of science have led to explore those unattractive re- 
gions. It has no beauties of plumage, but is homely and possesses 
no other attractions than its song. When singing, it perches upon 
some small tree or bush; and when approached, instead of fiying, 
alights upon the ground, and runs off with great rapidity. Dr. 
Kennerly, a very accurate and trustworthy naturalist, noticed great 
resemblance between some of its habits and those of the common 
Robin. The late Mr. Nuttall was, of all our naturalists, most 
familiar with its song. This he describes as most cheering, and 
as bearing some resemblance to the musicof our Brown Thresher. 
It also possesses the imitative powers of the common Mocking- 
bird, but to what extent is not fully known. 
The Cut-bird — we wish it enjoyed a common name better sug- 
gestive of its great merits and its many charming attributes — is 
our special favorite. Too interesting to be passed by in silence, 
it is also so familiar with us all, that we will not occupy too much 
of our fast-waning space with a full account of all its interesting 
peculiarities. 
There are few of our birds which have a wider geographical 
range. It is found in all the Atlantic States from Florida to 
Maine, and in the interior is common from Louisiana to Lake 
Winnipeg, extending westward to Oregon and Washington Ter- 
ritory. It is most abundant in the more highly cultivated por- 
tions of the country, but is comparatively rare in uncultivated, 
wooded, or mountainous regions. 
Although not generally a popular or a welcome visitor, and a 
victim of wide-spread, but most unjust prejndices, no bird more 
deserves or better repays our kindness. Its life is a perpetual 
warfare upon our most noxious insects, while its depredations 
upon our fruit are of no moment. 
From its first appearance almost to its departure in the early 
fall, the air is vocal with its quaint and charming melody, made 
all the more attractive by its imitations of the notes of other birds, 
that blend so constantly wita its own unimitative song. Its imi- 
tations, when it attempts something beyond its scope, are fre- 
quently ludicrous failures, but at other times are remarkably good. 
Its song is a singular medley, and its notes, both natural and 
imitative, combine to form a whole at once yaried and attractive. 
Its powers of imitation, though limited, are often exercised in an 
amusing and successful manner. They bear, of course, no com- 
parison with those of the Mocking-bird, which can repeat with 
marvellous exactness any note or sound, and blend them with its 
own with incredible facility, and with an endless variety. The 
more difficult notes the Cat-bird rarely attempts to imitate, and 
makes a failure of it when it does; but the whistle of the common 
Quail, the chuckling of the domestic hen when calling her brood, 
the answering cries of her chickens, the note of the Pewit Fly- 
catcher, the refrain of the Towhee, it can copy with so much exact- 
ness as to be hardly distinguishable from the original. 
The Cat-bird soon ascertains where it is a welcome visitor, 
and is not long in making itself at home. It is perpetually in 
eh 
