. Illustrated natural history : comprising descriptions of animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, etc., with sketches of their peculiar habits and characteristics . Zoology. '^52 VERTEBRATES. While its eggs are hatching it is an exceedingly courageoua bird, attacking without discrimination man, dogs, or any animal who may approach too near the nest. But the black inake is the special object of its vengeance. The snake, which has perhaps just arrived at the vicinity of the nest, and is contemplating a pleasant breakfast on the young or eggs, is violently attacked by the enraged Mocking-bird
. Illustrated natural history : comprising descriptions of animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, etc., with sketches of their peculiar habits and characteristics . Zoology. '^52 VERTEBRATES. While its eggs are hatching it is an exceedingly courageoua bird, attacking without discrimination man, dogs, or any animal who may approach too near the nest. But the black inake is the special object of its vengeance. The snake, which has perhaps just arrived at the vicinity of the nest, and is contemplating a pleasant breakfast on the young or eggs, is violently attacked by the enraged Mocking-bird, who, by repeated blows on the head, generally destroys its enemy, and then mounting upon a bush, pours forth a triumphant song of victory. The nest is made generally in a bush or apple-tree, fre- quently close to houses, as the bird is protected by the inhabitants. The Mocking-bird is often kept tame, in which case, so far from its imitative powers showing any decrease, the variety of domestic sounds heard about the house is often very perplexing. The Golden Oriole is a very shy bird, frequenting the skirts of woods, especially copses that border on larger woods. In the fruit season it leaves the woods for the orchards, and makes no small havoc among the fruit, par- ticularly the figs, grapes, and cher- ries. The nest is made of wood and fine hay; it is generally placed on the fork of a bouerh. The eggs Golden Oriole. j. • , » , are five m number, of a purplish white, spotted with reddish marks. The length of the hird is rather more than ten inches. The Spotted Flycatcher may be considered as the type of the entire family. It may be constantly seen in gardens and orchards, going through the evolutions that have given it tht names of Flycatcher, Post-bird, Beam-bird, etc. It takes its sta- tion on some elevated spot, such as the overhanging bough of a tree, a post, or a rail, and from thence watches for a passing insect, on seeing which it darts from its post, secures the i
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1883
