File:Stories about birds of land and water (1874) (14770706953).jpg

Identifier: storiesaboutbird00kirb (find matches)
Title: Stories about birds of land and water
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Kirby, Mary, 1817-1893 Kirby, Elizabeth, 1823-1873
Subjects: Birds -- Juvenile literature
Publisher: Hartford (Conn.) : American Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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xed very safely inthe fork of a branch. It is made of wool and the stalks of grasses, woventogether in a most wonderful manner; and four or five smooth white eggs,spotted with brown, are laid in it. The birds choose a very retired spot for the nest. They fix upon somelonely grove, and make it under the overhanging leaves and branches. Theyare very brave in defending their young, and would do battle with almostanybody. THE MOCKING-BIRD. It is not in England that you must expect to hear the mocking-bird. It istrue that in our woods and thickets one bird will mimic the note of another,but this is in a very inferior way compared to that prince of mimics, themocking-bird. THE MOCKING-BIRD. 95 He i«3 about the size of a thrush, and lives in the warm parts of NortliAmerica, where the orange-tree is seen in the gardens and the groves, and thefields and the forests are adorned with millions of flowers. Here the magicalsong of the mocking-bird is heard to perfection. He is the sweetest and the
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THE MOCKING-EIRD. most wonderful of the forest musicians, and his clear strong voice seems to fillthe whole air with a flood of harmony. The mellowness of his song, and the variety and brilliance of its per-formance, can hardly be described. He begins to sing early in the season, when he has chosen his partner.He flies lightly round her, his tail expanded and his wings raised, dancing, as 96 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. it were, with delight. Then he ahghts on a tree, and seems to pour out allhis affection in his song. And more than this, as if his own powers ofexpression were too few, he begins to imitate the songs of all his neighboursin the grove. In the clear summer night, when the moon shines on therustling tops of the forest trees, he will sing like the nightingale, and youmight take him for one. But his power of imitation is not always used in such a harmless way.He likes to play certain tricks that are rather mischievous. He will amusehimself by uttering a loud scream like a bird of p

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