CAT-BIRD. 335 



his protection, is treated with undeserved obloquy and 

 contempt. The flight of the Cat-bird is laborious, and usu- 

 ally continued only from bush to bush ; his progress, how- 

 ever, is very wily, and his attitudes and jerks amusingly 

 capricious. He appears to have very little fear of ene- 

 mies, often descends to the ground in quest of insects, 

 and though almost familiar, is very quick in his retreat 

 from real danger. 



This common and abundant species begins to con- 

 struct its nest some time in the month of May. The 

 situation, in which he delights to dwell, is commonly 

 a dark thicket, in the woods, or close bush in some re- 

 cluse part of the garden, at the distance of 5 to 10 feet 

 from the ground, according to the convenience of the 

 situation. The materials are coarse but substantial ; 

 the external part is commonly made of small interlaced 

 twigs, old grass, and dry leaves ; to these succeed thin 

 strips of bark, often of the red cedar, somewhat aggluti- 

 nated. The inside is lined and bedded with black root- 

 fibres of ferns ; other accidental materials sometimes 

 make a fantastic part of the fabric. One has been known 

 to carry away an edging of lace which was missed, and 

 at length again recovered after the rearing of the brood, 

 whose dainty bed it assisted to form. I have frequently 

 found in the external coat of the nest, the cast off skins 

 of snakes, more rarely bits of newspapers, wood shavings, 

 strings, and bass-mat strips. The eggs are 4 or 5, of a 

 bright and deep emerald green, and without spots. Ac- 

 cording to the time of their arrival they raise two or even 

 three broods in the season. The Cat-bird is not easily 

 induced to forsake its nest, Wilson removed one con- 

 taining 4 eggs, nearly hatched, from a grape-vine into a 

 thicket of briars close by, which was soon occupied by 

 the female, as if nothing had happened to it. Other 



