133 



Thev often perch in the tops of hushes and sing for an 

 hour or more at a time, — wings and tail drooping, head 

 erect and eyes half closed. From between the half-opened 

 bills, come selections from the songs of robins, thrushes, 

 of wagon wheels, mewing of cats, clucking and cackling 

 of hens and noises of his own invention like nothing ever 

 before heard. 



Fig. 114. NO SIGN OF FEAR IN THIS POSE. 



Catbirds build quite large and substantial nests of small 

 twigs, rootlets and shreds of bark; the bowl-shaped inter- 

 ior is lined with slender black rootlets and on these the four 

 greenish-blue eggs are laid. The female is very loathe to 

 leave her nest while setting and will usually allow anyone 

 to almost touch her before she glides off the eggs. Once 



