cover breath and strength to go on. They never attempted to
make the whole ascent at once, but always stopped four or five times,
perching on the ends of fallen branches, of which there were eight or
ten below the living part of the pine. Even when no wind disturbed them,
they made these pauses on the way, and it was always a hard task to
reach the top. They learned, after a few days, however, to begin their
ascent at a distance, and not approach the tree till at least half as
high as they wished to go, which simplified the matter very much. It was
beautiful to see them, upon reaching the lowest of the living branches,
bound gayly up, as though over a winding stair, to the particular spot
they had fixed upon.

During the building I missed the daily music of the singer. Occasionally
he alighted on the roof, looked over at me, and bubbled out a few notes,
as much as to say, "You must excuse me now; I am very busy;" but all the
time I hoped that while sitting was going on I should have him back. I
reckoned ignorantly; I did not know my bird. No sooner was he the
possessor of a house and family than he suddenly became very wary. No
more solos on the roof; no more confidential remarks; no more
familiarities of any sort. Now he must beware of human beings, and even
when on the grass he held himself very erect, wings straight down,
every instant on guard. His happiness demanded expression in song,
certainly, but instead of confining himself to the roof he circled the
lawn, which was between two and three hundred feet wide. If he began in
a group of cedars on the right, he sang awhile there, then flew to the
fence next the road without a pause in the music, and in a few minutes
passed to the group of pines at the left, perched on a dead branch, and
finished his song there. It was most tantalizing, though I could but
admit it a proof of intelligence.

Another change appeared in the bird with the advent of family cares: he
was more belligerent; he drove the bluebird off the lawn, he worried the
tufted titmouse when it chanced to alight on his tree, and in the most
offensive way claimed ownership of pine-trees, lawn, and all the fence
bordering the same. Neighboring mocking-birds disputed his claim, and
many a furious chase took place among the trees. (So universal is their
habit of insisting upon exclusive right to certain grounds that two
mocking-birds are never found nesting very near each other, in that part
of the country. T