207 



705. Brown Thrasher, fr. — la grive rousse. Toxostoma rufum. L, 11-42 

 Plate XLV A. 



Distinctions. The Brown Thrasher with its red-brown back and sharply streaked 

 breast has the general outward appearance of a thrush, but its large size, ruddiness of the 

 brown, and long tail are distinctive. 



Field Marks. The bright red-brown back, sharply striped breast, long tail, and 

 general carriage and habits. 



Nesting. In thickets or on ground in nests of twigs, coarse rootlets, and leaves lined 

 with finer rootlets. 



Distribution. Eastern United States and southern Canada, except Atlantic coast, 

 •north including the sections of thickest settlements. 



The Brown Thrasher is probably the best common Canadian songster. 



Its song is very similar to that of the Song Thrush of Europe. It is a 

 succession of phrases like that of the Catbird but without its occasional 

 discordance and more liquid and mellow in tone. The notes are uttered 

 close together and continue for several minutes, sometimes in great 

 variety. Thoreau has translated some of them as " Drop it — drop it — 

 cover it up cover it up — pull it up pull it up.'' The repetition of each 

 variation is one of the peculiarities of the song of the Brown Thrasher, 

 by which it can be distinguished from the Catbird. 



This is also a bird of the thickets, inhabitating open tangles, clumps of 

 bushes in meadows, and the edges of woods and fence-rows. The Thrasher 

 is rather more retiring than the Catbird and is less easily induced to come 

 into the home grounds. 



Economic Status. A decidedly useful bird, over one-half of its food 

 being injurious insects, beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, etc. The 

 remainder is largely fruit, a small part of which is probably cultivated and 

 is mostly raspberries. On the whole it does little damage and much good. 



FAMILY — TROGLODYTID^. W^RENS. 



The Wrens are small brown birds living close to the ground. Though 

 diminutive in size they are very energetic and except when brooding or 

 asleep are rarely still. They can be recognized by their small size, brown 

 coloration, small stubby tail often thrown up over the back, and their 

 restless habits, winding in and out amongst the densest brush piles more 

 like mice than birds. The Wrens are a large family well distributed over 

 the world but better represented in species in the New than in the Old World. 

 Their habitat varies from watery swamps to dry uplands and from open 

 thickets to deep dense woods. The family name Troglodytidce, cave- 

 dwellers, is derived from their habit of nesting in holes. 



718. Carolina Wren. Thryothorus ludovicianus . L, 5-50. The largest of our 

 Wrens and the reddest, the back approximating the red of the Brown Thrasher, of a 

 lighter yet distinctly warm tint below. 



Distinctions. Size, comparative redness of back, and the distmct Hght eyebrow 

 line are distinctive of this species. 



Field Marks. The above distinctions make the best field marks. The Long-billed 

 Marsh Wren has a similar eyebrow line but size, general colour, and habitat will prevent 

 confusion with it. 



Nesting. In holes in trees or stumps or in nooks and crevices about buildings, in 

 bulky nest of grasses, feathers, leaves, etc., lined with finer grasses, long hairs, etc. 



Distribution. Eastern United States, north mtermittently into Canada in the western 

 lake Erie section. For a number of years the species was quite common on Pelee point 

 and on Pelee island, but since 1913 it seems to be becoming rarer. 



SUBSPECIES. Of the three subspecies of CaroUna Wren only one, the Northern 

 Cj^rohna Wren, the typical race, is to be expected in Canada. 



