Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1858-08-21

iic IiWh.At ~ '"t NV "'"N uiIuf tHuu4l
none Of the homliesl. has nothing gaudy o
brilliant in il. and. had he nothing else 10 u
commend hin, would scaNsly emile him ;,
notice; but his iieure Is vel proportional, sn.
even handsome. The ease. elrgance and rapii
nv OF his NOV emenis, the animation ofhi.syr
and the intelligence he Displays in lisieni .
and laying up lessons from almost every specie
of The feaiheied creation within his HEARING
are really surprising and mark the peeulian,
Of his genius. 10 these qualities we may add
that ola voice full, strong and musical. ant
and capable Of almost every meditation. iron
the clear, mellow tones the wood thrush TO the
savage screams Of the laid eagle, 10 measure
and accent he faithfully follows his originals
In force and sweetness ofexp!ession he greatly
improves upon them.
Ia his native groves, mounted upon The ioi
Of tall bush or balfgfown Tree, IN the dawr
Of dewy morning while the woods are alread,
vocal with multitude o. warblers bis admlfa
BILE songs rise preemineni over every competitor
The ear can listen TO his music alone, 10 which
that OF all others seems mere accompaniment
Neither is this stain altogether imilaiiye. Hi'
own native notes, which are easily distinguish
able by such as are well acquainted with
those OF our various birds Of song are bold and
full and varied seemingly beyond all limits
They consist OF short expressions oftwo, three
or, nj the most, Eve or six syllabes. generally
interspersed with limitations, and all Of them
uttered with great emphasis and rapidity, and
continued, with undminished ardor for halt an
hour or an hour at time. --> = -
His expanded wings and tail glistening with
white, and the buoyant gaiety oi his action,
arrest the eye, as bis song most rrrsisiibly
does the ear He sweeps round with enihusi'
asiic cstacy--- he mounts md descends, as his
song swells or dies away, and, as Mr.. Bariram
has beautifully expressed il, she bonds aloft
with the celebrity Of an arrow, as If to recall his
very soul, which expired in the last elevated
strain" While thus exerilng himself, a by.
stinder, destitute Of sight, would suppose that
the whole featherad tribes had assembled to-.
geher, ona trial Of skill, each striving to pro.
duce his utmost efect-so perfect arc his imi-
tations. He many times deceiyes the sports.
man, and sends him in search OF birds that,
perhaps, are not within miles OF him but whose
notes he exactly initiates. Even birds them.
selues are frequently imposed on BY this admi-
rable mimic, and are decoyed by the fancied
calls Of their mates, or dive with PRECIPITATION
into the depths of the thckets, at the scream
Of what they suppose to be the sparrowhawk
The mocking.bird loses little of the power
and energy of his song by confinement. lr
his domesticated state, when he commenced
his career OF song, il is impossible to stand by
uninterc,;ed. He whistles for the dog Cesar
start, up wag, hi, tal,and runs to meet his
master. He squea out like hurt chicken,
and the hen hurries about, with hanging wings
and 5rsted feathers clucking to protect her
injured brood. He runs over the quavering OF
the canary, and the clear whisteings of the
Virginia nightingale or red-bird, with such su.
peror execution and effect that the mortified
songster feel their own inferorityj and become
altogether silent, while he seems to triumph in
their defeat by rebuilding his exertons.
This excessive fondness for variety, however,
nthe opinion of some, Injuries his song. His
elevated limitations Of the brown thrush are
frequently interrupted by the Growing of cocks;
and the warblings of the. blue:brd, which he
exquistely manages, ATE mingled with the
screaming of swallows, or the cackling of hens.
Amidst the simple melody of the robin, we
suddenly surprised by the shrill reiterations Of
the -poor-wil; while the notes of the kill.
deer, blue jay, martin, baltimore, and twenty
Others succeeded, with such imposing reality,
that we look round for the originals, and dis.
cover, with establishment, that the sole perfor-
mer, in this singulat concert, IL the admirable,
bird now before US. During this exhibition
of his powers, he spreads his wings, expands
his fail, and throws himself aroifna the cage
in all the ecstasy of enthusiasm, seeming not
only TO sing, but to dance, keeping timesto the
measure of his ownsmusic Both in his native
and domesticated state, during the solemn still.
ness Of the night, as soon as The moon rises in
silent majesty, he begins his delightful solo,
and serenades US with full display Of his vo-
cal powers, making the whole neighborhood
ring with his inimitable> meIoby.-Aleramder
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