72 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



parts of the place. During the nesting season we find them 

 near shrubbery and along hedges hopping about on the lawns 

 or between the flowers, diligently looking for entomological 

 specimens, which during summer make up the principal part 

 of their diet. In autumn wild fruit is preferred, and all kinds 

 of berries from Magnoha and Sassafras to Catbrier and Poison 

 Ivy are in demand. While the Catbird may do some harm 

 in places where there is no wild fruit to be had, in the Garden 

 it finds such an abundance and variety of fruit-bearing trees, 

 shrubs and vines, that it docs absolutely no harm, but a great 

 amount of good as an indefatigable insect destroyer, though 

 we have not ascertained how many percent of useful insects 

 are among them, taking it for granted, as friends of the bird, 

 that ninety-nine percent are injurious. Formerly it was suf- 

 ficient to know that a bird lives on insects in order to class it 

 among the benefactors of husbandry, but nowadays the agri- 

 culturists want to know what kind of insects it cats, and 

 woe to the poor fellow which is found guilty of partaking too 

 much of predaceous and parasitic insects, spiders and myria- 

 pods. The Catbird's song is none of the best, neither in com- 

 position nor in execution, but it pleases its author, undoubt- 

 edly also his mate, and certainly a great many people who are 

 not too particular but glad to welcome and enjoy all expres- 

 sions of joy and good cheer, whether highly musical or not. 

 Its cat-like mewing call-note is such a familiar salutation in 

 our rambles that we miss it much when it ceases in the fall. 



BROWN THRASHER. ToXOStOlUa TUJum. 



The Mockingbird, Catbird, and Thrasher form a trio of 

 vocal artists of prominence among our Garden musicians and 

 while the first two are more or less imitators of other bird's 

 notes, the Thrasher's song is mostly original composition and 

 such a good one that both cousins borrow largely from it. It 

 is only to be regretted that its song-period is so short. A 

 great songster from its arrival in early April till the last of 

 May, it is only occasionally heard in June and quite silent in 

 July. After the molt we catch sometimes snatches of fine 

 song at half voice coming from deep recesses, but their diet of 



