File:Birds and nature (1905) (14752426971).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature21905chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
able to recog-nize only fifty-eight as they flew—thatof the robin appearing twenty-twotimes. While many Mockingbirds havea wonderful power of mimicry and anexceptional memory, there are manyothers which sing no notes exceptingthose of their own song. The very bestmockers are very far from common.While many Mockingbirds may copyperfectly the notes of the songs of otherbirds, a few impart an artistic inter-pretative quality, which enables themeasily to surpass their models. The musical talent of the Mocking-birds is by no means confined to mimicryof other birds songs. They have notesof their own which are rich and varied.They are rapidly delivered with muchsweetness and energy. They seem toenjoy their own voices for their song isaccompanied by a sort of ecstatic move-ment of the wings, tail and body. The Mockingbird is a favorite notonly because of his own beautiful song,his powers of imitation, and his prettyways and elegant form, but also becausehe loves the society of man and will
Text Appearing After Image:
j FROM COL. F. M. WOODRUFF 62 MOCKINGBIRD. (Mimus fjolytrlotto.s) i Life-size. MUMFORD, CHICAGO build his home near that of man. Heis always animated and all his motionsare rapid and graceful. It is to be regretted that the range ofthis beautiful bird and renowned song-ster does not cover a much wider terri-tory. Its breeding range extends fromnorthern New Jersey (rarely Massachu-setts) and southern Illinois, southwardto the limits of its range in Mexico. Ithas been observed in a very few in-stances as far north, in the interior, asChicago. While its distribution does notinclude even the larger part of theUnited States the Mockingbird has beencalled our national song-bird. It enjoyspublic life and will often make its homein our parks and gardens and sometimesin the more quiet streets of our towns. Its nest is constructed with twigs,weed stalks, strips of bark, and some-times rags and other trash are foundavailable. It is lined with fine rootlets,cotton, feathers and other soft sub-sta

Note About Images