The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-05-04
&be ftttle 3olks:
The hooking Bird.


ssFather.D said Richard Lane, 81
heard a mocking bird in the garden
this morning. 1t is making its nest in
the orange tree. Is it true, sir, that the
mocking bird can initiate the human
voice, as we'll as all other sountls?''
ono" said MIR. Lane. s'Grcat as it's
capacity for imitation is, it can only
repeat the songs of other birds, or the
sounds made by certain quadrupeds.
It is a noticeable fact that those birds,
like the parrot, which have the power
of initiating human utterance, are in
no case singing BIRDS"
ssBut are you not glad we shall have
the mocking birds in our garden? Is
there any bird in the world, father,
whose song can equal that OF our South
ern mocking bird ~
ssNone, unless it is the English night
ingale. But Audubon, our great natu-
ralist, pronounces the mocking bird
the king of song. The mellowness of
the notes, the varied modulations, and
the brilliancy Of execution, are, he
says, unrivalled."
els it not fortunate that they always
like to build their nests in Il garden,
near houses? They do nOtseem to fear
the presence Of man, as some birds do.'
t"They seem, in fact, to look upon us
as their best friends, and will even Of
tentimes build their nests in a tree or
branch nearest to our windows, as If
preferring that proximity to our abodcs.
For my part, there is nothing in nature
that so charms me as the sight and
sound of the mocking bird. 10 watch
him fly ing around his mate, with mo-
tions us light as n butterfly, and pour
ing out his rapturous love song, is in
deed delightful. ". .H
81 have watched him many Il time,
sir. He mounts in the air with his
tail expanded, and describes II circle
around his mate, singing as if his little
throat woul burst, and then down he
comes to join her. In an other mo-
ment he is off again; circling round
and round, and pouring out song after
song in imitation Of every bird in the
forest, until he almost deafens me.''
ole dcafens us with rare music,
Richard. The songs that the male
knocking bird pours into the ear Of his
mate cannot be equaled by man, with
all his skill in music.
ssBut it is pleasant to watch the male
during the period his mate is sitting
on her nest warming into life its young.
The male has little to do but to sing it's
mate to repose, or to watch for insects
or some rare bit that he thinks will
please the taste of his companion.
"Thcir devotion to their young is
also very marked. If they perceive
that some intruder has visited their
nest, they may be heard with low,
mournful notes condoling together.
Sometimes snakes ascend to their
nests and destroy their brood, when
not only the pair to which the nest
belongs, but many other birds of the
tribe, league together for revenge, fly
to the spot, attack the reptile, and
either force him to retreat, or else de-
prive him of his life"
els it not great shame, father. for
any one to shoot or destroy any of
these birds::''
at is indccd; but fortunately they
are held in such love by all the commu-
nifty that they are rare ly molcstcd
and then only by some mischeivous
boy"
Little Jessie had boon doing some
thing which her mamma told her she
mustn't do. She had been eating cur
rants, and, of course, got her mouth all
stained. That's the way she got found
out. Her mamma said: "Nou know
you were forbidden to cat currants.'
'But, mother, Satan tempted me-"
"Why didn't you say, Get the behind |
me, Satan:' 81 did say, Get the be-
hind me, Satan, and he went and got !
behind me and pushed me right into |
the currant bushcs.''
n little girl in Versailles, Ky, fell |
into II well the other day and was only
rescued from drowning Ivy the cNcr-
tons of Mary Griffith, Il playmate only
twelve years old. The brave child was
let down in the we'll, other children
holding her by the feet and clothing,
and succeeded in eNtricating her drown
ing friend from her imminent danger.