Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-11-05
THE MocKlNG BIRD.
He Is the Most verantiIe OF All the
Woodland Choir.


Early explorers OF America carried
back with them to Europe stories Of q
bird which sang more sweetly than the
nightingale.
1t was the southern mocker heard in
the clearings and along the green banks
of the water courses which chained the
attention of the music loving Spaniard
The hooking bird sings as sweetly to.
day as it sang when De Soto, Journey
ing westward, listened all the way to
its music.
Ever since the day when Its notes
were first heard by the ears of the pio-
neers the human singers have been
trying to catch the inspiration Of the
mocker's song and to do 1t justice in
poetry. The human singers never fully
have succeeded. The mocker is the
most versatile OF all the woodland
choir. He can, IL he will, touch harsh
ness, as lie touches harmony, and at
times the admiration of the listener is
more for the birds variety than for its
melody.
No knocking bird in all the range OF
It's performance ever eQualed in pure
music the hymnlike notes Of the hermit
thrush, but vet the mocl1cr is by far
the greater, if not the more appealing
singer. When the bird confines itself
To the notes which are its.own by birth.
rlght--its native notes. rs 1t wcre-thero
is trace OF nothing save IN exalting
measure. The bird, however, Is born
borrower, ana TO that with which no
ture has endowed 1t there are constant.
~ being added the belongings of others.
1t is interesting TO read the accounts
OF the knocking birds songs ms set
down by the early ornithologlsts. An.
dubon, Wilson and Nuttall listened to
the mocker and wero In turn movG3 to
sing. even though they did their sing
Ing In prose. Some OF the fathers OF
bird science in America nearly exhaust
Cd the supply OF adjectives in the Eng
lish language in their eudcavor to give
their readers adequate description Of
the song Of the hooking bird. One solo
heard amid the surroundings Of n
southern spring drives from the mem
Dry all thoughts of human praise Of the
birds voice, and the song itself re.
"hhio " tuNo tlelt lluC0.
There is II luxurlance In the singing
of the mocker, and the proper setting
for the song Ia the warmth and luxur-
nnce OF the south. The bird, however.
does not entirely neglect the music low
crs OF the north. 1t sings and nests
occasionally as far north az Illinois
and Massachusetts, and in tho north
II 1fr
hess from It's song.
Some years ago the Audubon socie-
Ties Of the northern states began to re-
cclve letters from the women of the
southland telling Of the gradual disap.
pearance of the moclter from localities
where once Its song had been heard
from every tree and thlcket The let.
tiers told Of the robblng of the nests
OF the birds In order that the young
might be sold In the great northern
cities
The Audubon societies took up the
plea OF the southern women that the
traffic in the Knockers might be stopped,
ana they succeeded In large measure
in putting an end to the sale Of tho
songsters in the northern markets. The
songs of hooking bird Gagged and Of
n hooking bird ut liberty are as differ
ent as are the spirits of slavery and of
freedom.
1t would be task OF days to give
adequate information Of all that has
been written concerning the song of
the southern mocking bird. Paul Ham.
ilton Hayne lived with the bird, and
Inc caught the ecstasy of It's song. VII.
liam Henry Tlmrod, like Hayne, d
southern singer, also caught the In.
SEPARATION of the birds note. The south,
ern poets, us would seem both nntura.
and right, have caught best the flnd
frenzy Of this singer of the southern
foreSts.-Chicago Post.