The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-06
ABOUT MOCKING BIRDS.
Il TALK WITH TEXAS JAKE, THE
BIRD CATCHER.
Iyov Long lie Has Made y Study of tho
Feathered songsters and How He
Secures Them.

"Mocking-bird Jake" the great Texas
bird catcher. IS in town.
He came yesterday and brought with
him 600 hooking birds for bird fanciers.
| A reporter. DESTROYS of learning some
! thing OF the traits and habits OF the mock
ing bird, called upon the trapper to-day
and had quite a conversation with him.
! In appearance "MOcking- bird Jake re-
! sembe Il typical cowboy. He is tall
/ and lank, with bronzed complexion and
| wears a big sombrero.
"Mocklng- bird trapping" said he. us a
! hard business and not a very profitable
one. Some years ago, however, when
there were not so many trappers, ! man
aged TO make quite a respectable living
out of the business. 1t was away back
there in the '70s when ! first commenced
to catch birds for living. You know
j was born I'm Texas and about this time
OF the year the woods are just ringing
with the songs of the hooking birds. /
have been professional hunter, and
many an old buffalo | have shot down.
but when the buffalo gave out | COM
menced 10 look around for something
to do. | noticed the negroes around the
railroad stations were making quite
good deal Of money by selling young
hooking birds. / thought that if. in
stead OF taking the young ones from the
nest and selling them. | could hit upon
plan 10 catch the male birds just be-
fore the mating season | could make
some money ! came East, met my man
and arranged 10 supply him with hooking
birds.
The first year I was not at all sue
cessful. L was not sufficiently well ac
quainted with the character or habits OF
the bird and my expeditions invariably
ended disastrousiy. on one occasion, +
remember / had captured about l2J, and
after packing them carefully shipped
them East. Ny arrangement was that
| was 10 be paid for the birds rs they
landed i'm other words, / was 10 stand
the loss II any Of them died on the way
| sat in my cabin during the next two
weeks and made pictures Of what would
do with the large sum OF money l eX-
pected TO get for my birds. Some time
aftcrward / received a check for %-f0ur
Cf the birds had arrived safe. The eX-
pressage was something like SS2 and my
dream OF wealth suddenly took wings.
Such thing as that is liable to disap-
point most any one. II was not SO in my
case. vas all the more determined |
10 succeed. So ! commenced 10 study |
the nature Of the bird. As said before. it |
is hard work at the best. involving early
starts, hunger and fatigue, not to men |
ton the danger % being struck by "a |
rattier. which are very numerous in the !
hooking bird section.
DAY after day / watched the little fell /
lows, and altogether devoted an entire
season just to a study of their habit9 and !
characteristics. The knowledge | gained
has been invaluable 20 me. or all the
feathered musicians tho hooking bird is
easily king, and his rich, pure notes are
FAR ahead Of the English nightingale. /
about which pOts have r.ivod and b1rds
have sung. The hooking bird rs also the
game cock OF the bird family. and hts
pugnacty gets him into all his trouble.
lie is a natural Eormand. and hunts tho
woods patiently In the fall until ne finds
section that will supply him with food
all winter. Then he settles down TWon-
ty-five feet away. perhaps. another mock
Ing bird takes up his abode, but let him
encroach one inch on the others pre-
serve and there is Immediately war 20
the death. These fights. however, are not
frequent for there seems 10 DEE an un-
written law among the birds that when
one Of them stakes out claim he is
entitled 10 the benefits thercfrOm. Tho
hooking birds prefer a dense thicket as
a home and IL IS here the trapper hunts
for him. Just about this season OK tie
year they are all busy preparing their
nests. The females. who have been to /
themselves during the winter, are looking
10 their recreant husbands. and great
preparations are being made for family
cares. Usually four eggs are found IN
the nests. which are light blue IN color.
with large brown specks. They hatch in /
fourteen days. and then the extreme jcal-
ousy Of the mother becomes marked. She !
wants divorce right away from her
husband and will not allow him or any
other bird 10 come near the nest After
three or four weeks the birds NAV be
taken from their nests and easily reared /
By hand. \ little harl-boiled egg a.t
potato. however should te their only
diet until they have reached the ago o.
about eight weeks. when q Htue prcpa-oI
food. with ar occasional
spider or hUcklobcrry. may he civeu.
Some people prefer the hard-raisoI rest
ling 10 older birds. but I DO not Think
they are AIRY better.
THE hooking bird commences 10 sir%
when he IS about two months old. The
first Indication YOU get is re7tleasness
on the part Of the bird. with soft. low,
unfinished notes. Gradually Eis voice I'M
proves. and as he gets older ne adds 10
his repertoire until ne f. finished vocal
81. Not content with productions of his
OWN. he is q great mimic and can initiate
almost any Of the bird family. But the
song OF the hooking bird YOU hear in the
,lues j. not the song you hear I'm his ma
i've State. There his notes dra pure. sweet
and resonant. while In the city be often
Introduces a harsh note I'm imitlu q ot
'ome noise be has heard. - ! said. he
van initiate anything from an ea2le 10 a
wren. and not only tAat, but beat them
II their OWL song. Ny experience has
leen thai the nocSng bird is tie easiest
rained of all the faathered songsters.
This. perhaps. IS due in a marked degree
o his Intelligence
"Wherecver 7 go. ono Of the first qucs-
ions asked me f.. can tell the difference
,c.wcen male and female mccking
rd? I reply unhositatlrgly that there is
s much difference between male and
cmale mockns bird as there is between
crow and baclbird. There are cases,
owever. where the female resembles the
male o. 4 very marked extent. and l have
card az females making good songstcrs. !