BIRDS OF KANSAS. 605 



Iris yellow; bill black, with under whitish at base; legs and 

 feet grayish brown; tarsi in front reddish brown; claws light 

 brown. 



These large, handsome songsters prefer for their haunts the 

 underbrush bordering the woodlands, tangled thickets of bushes 

 and briers, and the hedges upon the prairies, and, while not shy 

 or timid birds, as a rule select their homes rather remote from 

 our dwellings. The male arrives in advance, and, as soon as 

 he has selected a breeding place, mounts the topmost branches 

 of the trees and pours forth his loudest song at short intervals, 

 fearing if he remains silent the hen bird may pass him by un- 

 noticed. Upon her arrival, he sings from the lower branches 

 and bushes beneath, and devotes a large share of his time to 

 love making, driving away intruders, and in assisting in nest 

 building. As soon as the nest is completed and his mate begins 

 to lay, he again sings from the treetops to cheer her, taking his 

 turn, however, in sitting upon the eggs; but as soon as the 

 little ones are hatched his song ceases almost entirely, and he 

 probably devotes his time to watching over and assisting in 

 caring for the wants of the young. 



They feed and rear their young upon earth worms, spiders, 

 grasshoppers, beetles, wasps, etc., and berries in their season. 

 They are quite rasorial in their habits, and in their search for 

 food often hop over the ground and scratch among the leaves. 

 They have a peculiar habit of beating the insects upon the 

 ground or perch, knocking and thrashing them about until dead 

 (and in removing the wings and legs of the larger ones before 

 swallowing them). It is for this reason they are called Thrashers. 

 They flit and hop about in the bushes, with expanded tails, in a 

 graceful, easy manner, but, on account of the shortness of their 

 rounded wings, their flights are low and heavy. The old birds 

 do not take kindly to confinement, but the young when reared 

 from the nest become very tame, and when well cared for sing 

 with full power and melody their charming wild-wood song, 

 which, for length, compass, variety and musical flow, ranks next 

 to the song of the Mockingbird. Their call and alarm notes 

 vary: a "Chup," hissing sounds, at times harsh, scolding notes. 



