78 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



must go to his haunts if we would 

 learn of his powers as a vocalist and, 

 moreover, we inust enter then with due 

 regard for his innate modesty, else will 

 we be likely to come away disappointed. 



The thrasher, like many another un- 

 fortunate bird, is greatly disliked by 

 the farmer, who accuses him, and not 

 without reason, of being a rather con- 

 stant thief of his cherries and other 

 small fruit. It is undoubtedly true that 

 these birds, like the catbirds, do help 

 themselves occasionally to a dessert of 

 cherries or strawberries. They have, 

 however, an even greater right to them 

 than has the catbird for the damage 

 that they do in this direction is so much 

 more than oflfset by their helpfulness in 

 destroying untold hordes of insects 

 that it is less than insignificant. This 

 fact the farmer never stops to consider 

 or, perhaps, it would be more chari- 

 table to say, he is entirely ignorant of 

 it. In point of fact the thrashers, while 

 being songsters par excellence are also 

 to be placed among our most useful 

 birds. 



In the defence of their nest and young 

 these birds are even fiercer and more 

 determined than are the catbirds, if 

 that is possible. Often I have had 

 them dart into my very face with open 

 beak, raised crest and glaring eyes, 

 frequently even striking me with their 



THE NEST OF THE BROW N THRASHER. 



wings, the very epitome of righteous 

 anger and indignation. At such a time 

 they give repeated utterance to a note 

 that is halfway between the hiss of a 

 snake and the hoarse mew of a cat, and 

 which can be likened to no other sound 

 with which I am acquainted. Their 

 defense of their home is more often 

 successful than otherwise, except when 

 it is attacked by man, and Audubon re- 

 lates a story of a pair whose nest was 

 attacked by a snake while the female 

 was sitting upon it. She unfortvmately 

 was caught in the coils of the body of 

 the enemy, but at her first cry her mate, 

 together with another male of the same 

 species, flew to the rescue, and were 

 so successful in their onslaught that 

 they not only drove away and killed 

 the snake but rescued the female un- 

 injured. This is a good story and, 

 while I cannot doubt the truth of 

 Audubon's statement, I am neverthe- 

 less inclined to the belief that the snake 

 must have been a very small one for 

 there are few of the smaller birds that 

 can cope successfully with a snake. 

 They are, however, one of the strongest 

 of the smaller birds and can 'usually 

 come off victor in an encounter with 

 any other. They are also antagonistic 

 to each other, especially during the 

 mating and breeding season, and at 

 this time severe and prolonged encoun- 

 ters between two males is no unusual 

 sight, yet they will quickly join forces 

 in an attack upon a common enemy. 



They are easily raised in confinement 

 if taken when young and their ability 

 as a songster makes them a delightful 

 ]^et. A\niy anyone, however, should 

 ever wish to cage a creature who is so 

 evidently created for space and free- 

 dom, passes my understanding, and 

 whenever I see one so caged I have an 

 almost irresistible desire to open the 

 door and let him go free. 



Many stories are told illustrative of 

 the sagacity of birds and I am inclined 

 to repeat, for what it is worth, the fol- 

 lowing anecdote of a tame thrasher 

 from AA'ilson's Ornithology, as told 

 him by William Bartram : 



'T remember to have reared one of 

 these l)irds from the nest, which, when 

 full grown, became very tame and do- 

 cile. I frequently let him out of his 

 cage to give him a taste of liberty. 



