The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-06-17
THE MOCKING BIRD.
GRADUAL DETERMINATION OF THE
soNGsTER OF THE SOUTH.
Shot by Unsentimental Hunters-Rob-
bing the Nests-The Mocking Bird from
o Sentimental Point Of view-His Won
derful Powers of Song.

derful fOWerS OIL SOHSs
A great deal has been written during
the last three years concerning the grad
ual determination Of the souths splendid
songster, the mocking bird, or to be more
definite, the Minus Polyglottus. The
Telegraph first called attention to the sub
ject, and see no reason to doubt that the
theory then advanced to account for the
growing scarcity of the birds was and is
true one. The reason given was the un-
checked slaughter of the birds by negro
aDportsmen," and the destruction or cap
t,are of their young from wantonness or
desire for gain. The theory has been com
bated. 1t is stated by some that the Eng
hsh sparrow is driving out the singers.
BY others that the destruction OF the for
ests has something to do with the evil. 1t
is even suggested that hurricanes may be
the real cause. None Of these theories
will stand the test. The English sparrow
can not, in fact no bird can, drive out the
Knockers, who belong to game and bel
ligerent family. The common mocklng
bird will attack dogs, cats, hawks, crows,
and buzzards when they invade his range,
and have never known one Of them to
give up the contest. He is not q forest
bird, but of the fields. He prefers an open
situation and the haunts OF men. Ihe
orchard, hedge, a solitary haw bush,
where he has plenty of sunlight and a
breadth of view, suits him best. And it is
in the fields and orchards that he finds
food. Of all nests his is probably the
most carefully built, and little trouble Is
taken to conceal it. He seems to feel that
his song is the price of security, and this
mistake is fast playing havoc with him.
DESTRUCTION BY NEGRO HUNTERS.
Up to emancipation times, or rather the
close of the war, mocking birds were
plentiful every where in Georgia. Dur
ing the years that followed freedom armed
a race to whom guns had been forbidden.
The negro became an enthusiastic hunter,
but he was unskilled and could not graf
>ify his craze for destroying only upon
birds that were nearest at hand. Mock
ing birds, cardinals, jo-reels, catbirds and
thrushes went down as easy conquests be-
fore class that had never been taught
better, and had neither sentiment nor con-
science. The negro hunter Of today, with
possibly few exceptions, are not wing
shots, and they fill their bags with birds
that can be killed in the trees. 1t goes
without saying that these are the birds
that should be spared to the fields and to
society. My observation has been that
few, very few, negroes will pass, gun in
hand, anything that has feathers aad is
large enough to cook, and this is borne
out by the fact that the bluejay, the wood
pecker, and the catbird are disappearing
from the fields and woods almost as fast
us the mocking bird proper.
The destruction of the mocking bird has
been more rapid because his nest has been
systematically robbed by parties of both
colors for private gain or graft
tication. A year or two since
we noted one shipment of these birds
from Savannah which contained GOO or 700.
Upon the streets of this and all other cities
they are openly sold every summer.
When, however, we look at him from
sentimental point, the wonder that any one
can harm member Of the mocking bird
family increases. No song bird in the
world can equal the sweetness of his notes
or sustain q song so long. No bird known
TO naturalists can produce the notes OF
Others and Of fowls or even animals with
such precision and intsuch combination.
The little gray singer that balances him
self upon treetops, or dances along the
ridges of our houses, seems to have all the
bird notes of the land at his tongues end,
and to delight in weaving them into new
forms of beauty. That he has never been
Ehe poets theme to the extent that the
lark, the nightingale, or even the robin
has attribute to his name. 1t is not fitted
for verse, nor is it at all poetical. Had he
borne the name of Orpheus, as does his
cousin, of the Greater antilles, he would
have filed the song lore Of the south. Paul
Hayne, William Hamilton Hayne, and
few others have used him, but none have
conquered his plebeian name.
SONGS OF THE MocKING BIRD.
Mocling birds can be taught almost
anything in the way of tunes. Macon
used to boast of q bird that whistled
"Dixie," and years ago q Frenchman
travelled about the country playing airs
upon the piano which his bird would fol-
low accurately. At the Pulaski house, i'll
Savannah, negro used to keep bird
that would whistle good alto to tunes
his master whistled.
One of the most popular errors con-
cerning the mocking bird is the belief that
he has no song of his own; that he adopts
and blends only the notes of other birds
into song. This is pure nonsense, The
young mocking birds reared in the gar
rets of great cities and beyond the reach
of the songs of others sing as do the ma
tives in their freedom, though not rs
strongly, since they lack the inspiration
of mates, the mellow sunlight and lib
erty. Their song is, in fact, a number of
songs, but entirely original. Noman ever
heard the divisions of the knocking birds
sonr in ony forest That he interSDcrSeS