602 HISTORY OF THE 



sixth little shorter; first and ninth about equal, and about llie length of second- 

 aries; first quill more than half the second, and about half the third. Tail 

 graduated; lateral feather about .70 shorter than the middle. Tarsi longer than 

 middle toe and claw by about an additional half claw; scutellate anteriorly, 

 more or less distinctly in different specimens; scutella about seven. The con- 

 spicuous naked membraneous border round the eye of some Thrushes, with bare 

 space behind it, not appreciable." 



Galeoscoptes carolinensis (Linx.). 



CATBIRD. 

 PLATE XXXIV. 



Summer resident; abundant in the eastern part of the State; 

 not uncommon in the western portion. Begin laying about the 

 middle of May; the bulk leave about the last of September; 

 a few remaining late in November. 



B. 254. E. 13. C. 16. G. 8, 307. U. 704. 



Habitat. Eastern I^orth America; north in the interior to 

 about latitude 54°; west to the western base of the Kocky 

 Mountains; breeding throughout its United States range and 

 northward; wintering from the Indian Territory and the Caro- 

 linas southward, through eastern Mexico, to southern Central 

 America, 



Sp. Char. Adult: Uniform plumbeous slate, paler beneath; top of head and 

 tail black; lower tail coverts chestnut; bill and feet black; iris brown. Young: 

 Similar to the adult, but black cap fainter and less sharply defined; lower parts 

 very faintly mottled transversely with darkei', and lower tail coverts dull light 

 rusty. {Ridgtoay.) 



Iris dark brown; bill, legs, feet and claws black; legs and 

 feet sometimes brownish black. 



Miss Florence A. Merriam, in "Birds through an Opera 

 Glass," describes the habits and actions of this eccentric and 

 well-known bird, in so life-like and happy a manner, that I take 

 pleasure in copying the same: 



"High trees have an unsocial aspect, and so, as Lowell says, 

 'The Catbird croons in the lilac bush,' in the alders, in a prickly 

 ash copse, a barberry bush, or by the side of the garden. In 

 Northampton, one of his favorite haunts is an old orchard, that 

 slopes down to the edge of Mill River. Here, he is welcomed 



