Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-03-25
THE MoCK1NG BIRD OF AMERICA.

The American mocking bird is the prince Of all
song BIRDS being altogether unrvaledin the extent
and variety of his vocal powers; and besides the
fullness and melody Of his original notes, he has
the faculty of initiating the notes of all other birds
from the humming bird to the eagle. Pennant
states that he heard Gagged one initiate the new
ing Of a cat and the creaking of sign in high
winds. Darlington says his pipes come nearest to
the nightingale of any bird he ever heard.
The description, however, given by Wilson, in
his own inimitable manner, as far e1cels Penpan.
and Darlington as the bird excels bis fellow song,
ster. Wilson tell US that the ease, elegance and
rapidity of his movements, the animation of his
eye and the intelligence he displays in listening to,
and laying up lessons, marks the peculiarly Of his
genius. His voice is full, strong and musical, and
capable of almost every modulation, fromthe clear
mellow tones of the wood thrush to the savage
screams of the bald eagle In measure and &C.
cents he faithfully follows his originals, while in
strepgh and sweetness of expression he greatly i'm
proves upon them. In his native woods, upon a
dewy morning, his song rises above every competi-
tor; for others appear merely inferior accompani-
ments His own notes are bold and full, and va
red, seemingly, beyond all limits. They consist
of short expressions of two, three, or at most five
or six syllabes, generally uttered with great en-
phasis rapidly, and continued with undiminished
ardor for half an hour at a time. While singing,
he expands his tail, glistening with white keeping
time to his own music; and the buoyant gayety Of
his action is no less fascinating than his song He
sweeps around with enthusiastic ecstacy; be mounts
and descends, as his song swells or dies away he
bounds alof with the celerity Of an arrow, as if to
recover or recall his very soul, expired in the last
elevated strain. A bystander might suppose that
the whole feathered tribe has assembled together
on trial of skill each striving to produce his ut
most effort perfect are his limitations He Of
ten deceives the sportsman, and even birds them.
selves are sometimes imposed upon by this admi.
rable mimic. In confinement, be loses little of his
power or energy of his song. He whistles for the
dog Caesar starts up, wags his tail, and runs to
meet his master. He cries like hurt chicken,
and the hen huries about with feathers on end to
protect her injured brood.
He repeats the tone taught him, though it be Of
considerable length, with perfect accuracy. He
runs over the notes of the canary and the redbird
with such superior execution and effect that the
mortified songsters confess his triumph by thei'
immediate silence. His fondness for variety, some
suppose, injure his song. His imitation of the
brown thrush is often interrupted by the Growing
Of cocks; and his exquisite warblings after the
bue-bird are mingled with the screaming Of swal
lows, or the cacking of hens. During moonlight
both in the wild and tame state, he sings the whole
night long The hunters, in their nocturnal ex
cursions, know that the moon is rising the instant
they hear his delightful solo. After Shakespeare
Darlington attributes in part, the exquisiteness o.
the nightingales song to the silence of the night
but if so, what are we to think of the bird which,
in the open glare of day, overpowers and often 81
lences all competition? The natural notes Of the
American mocking bird are similar to those Of the
brown thrush.-Audubon.