160 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



Catbird in his song and habits, as well as in 

 dress. The latter, as we have seen, sings from 

 the midst of the tangled thicket about his nest, 

 and in low tones. The Thrasher is impelled by 

 no such feeling of modesty. From the topmost 

 limb of the tallest tree, he pours out his wonder- 

 ful lay, and he repeats it to make sure that you 

 do not miss a single note. 



"That's the wise Thrush; he sings each song twice over. 

 Lest you should think he never could recapture 

 The first fine careless rapture!" 



sang the poet, and the thought is very sugges- 

 tive of the manner of this bold performer. 

 Some interpret the Thrasher's song as a bit of 

 excellent advice to the farmer: 



"Shuck it, shuck it; sow it, sow it; 

 Plough it, plough it; hoe it, hoe it!" 



These words suit well the measures of his notes. 



There is much about the song that will remind 

 you of the Catbird, but the Thrasher, as we 

 have seen, repeats his notes. There is a com- 

 mon belief that the Thrasher, too, is a mocker, 

 but this is a false impression, so far as I have 

 observed. To me, his song seems quite his own, 

 with a similarity in several particulars to the 

 notes of other singers and yet wholly charac- 

 teristic. When singing the bird seems fully 

 absorbed in the effort, as though filled with 

 emotion which demands expression through his 

 vocal capabilities. 



Although so conspicuous when singing, the 

 Brown Thrasher is rather a shy bird at other 



