The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-06-06
THE SIOCHING--RIRD.
BY BISHOP M'TYEIRE.


There, boys, is an old friend. ii,
sings for us and charges nothing for hi
song. And such singing! Jenny Limo
never equaled it. He makes our coun
try homes cheerful with his music
People in towns having no trees ano
bowers for him, he lives in little house
Of his own.
The mocking-bird likes the habita.
ton of man. The nest, and its Young.
are thus protected from their greatest
enemies-snakes and hawks and foxes
and wildcats. He more than paws the
expenses of his entertainment, not only
with music, but by picking up the worms
and insects that are hurtful to the gardens.
I ct some boys are so cruel or thought
less as to pelt and stone this innocent
creature, and rob the nest of its eggs.
Let US rathes protect these visitors, and
throw them crumb or two. They soon
learn who their friends are. Let US
make friends.
The mocking-bird is an American.
and good judges say he is superior
singer to the nightingale Of Europe.
lie is here on the table-lands of Mexico.
at the foot of the Rocky mountains. and
in Brazil; but his favorite home is in our
Southern States. He spends the winter
IN LOUISIANA and the Carolinas, and some
times in the higher ATTITUDES. Audubon.
the great naturalist, who was born in
Louisiana, and watched the habits of this
bird with wonderful delight, calls him
the king of Song" and gives him the
scientific title Orpheus Potyglottus. He
says mocking-birds 90 north in summer
as far as Boston, and when these trave-
lers return, in October, the proud "South-
rons" of their tribe snub and fight them.
and make them very shy, but they soon
get reconciled and dwell in peace.
This bird raises two broods a year.
and sometimes three. The female sits |
on the nest two weeks, and during that
season the male does his best singing TO !
entertain her. The last broods are not
so vigorous or large as the first, and this /
has led some people to think that there /
are two kinds. In April our Georgia
and Alabama and Carolina readers will
see the first young ones; but those who
live IN Maryland and Illinois will not
ENJOY that pleasure till the middle of
May.
love not only to hear the mocking-
bird, but to watch his graceful motions
as he spreads his wings to the sun like a
butterfly, or skiPs along the ground, play
ing with his mate, or floats in the air,
pouring out his sOngs-too happy to sit
still.
When a child thought all hooking
olros sang alike; but closer observation
las shown me that this was a mistake.
on have seen a young lady that could
,iay two or three tunes on the piano, and !
hen II she continues to play, she must
ePeat; another, more cultivated, can !
'iay dozen pieces, and another twice as |
many. 30 1t is with hooking birds; there !
great difference in the extent and I
.arlety OF their attainments. One soon .
lngs out all he knows; another goes :
through a greater compass. And the ,
anne bird differs from himself as he =
earns more. L have heard one whistle =
ne "Campbells are coming'--the first :,
match OF 1t, as the musicians saw. a
ldy in Bowling Green, Kentucky, told .
ne she had taught her pet to sing a bar :,
'Old folks at home" Two wears aoo :,
heard gentleman in South Carolina -
Iughlng at the attempt Of mocking-bird. =
his yard, to initiate a crow. One has p
cen known to whistle up a doe-tbe ~
og thought his master called him The Is
iickens will dodge under cover-they p
ear the hawk screaming How the saucy Ca
low must be amused at the success Of ~
s tricks! ul
Now, boys, and young people all. in al
cad of worrying this bird, let ma make OF
lends with him; let us enter into a bar IN
IN to give him our protection for his ca
ne and service. Some persons, In @
hes, are glad to pay 50, and even $40
$40, for good singer of this tribe
d be at the expense of caging and an
sding him, and yet rude or thought ia
$ lad In the country VIII chase away a To-
lole choir of them. So little does bu- au
IN nature esteem the blessings that are in
nmon, and the pleasures that are eheani mi
Ie papers say one parish in Louisiana IF
ported fifteen hundred mockino-birds ha,
{ ummer.--Sunday School Visitor. b am
A Good Wan Gone. an,