172 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



nals, and discover, with astonishment, that the sole performer in 

 this singular concert is the admirable bird now before us. During 

 this exhibition of his powers, he spreads his wings, expands his tail, 

 and throws himself around the cage in all the ecstasy of enthu- 

 siasm, seeming not only to sing, but to dance, keeping time to the 

 measure of his own music. Both in his native and domesticated 

 state, during the solemn stillness of night, as soon as the moon 

 rises in silent majesty, he begins his delightful solo, and sere- 

 nades us the livelong night with a full display of his vocal 

 powers, making the whole neighborhood ring with his inimitable 

 medley." 



A number of eggs in my collection average about .98 of 

 an inch in length by about .70 inch in breadth ; their form 

 is generally ovate, and their color a pale emerald-green, 

 with spots of ferruginous and brown. 



GALEOSCOPTES, Cabanis. 



Galeoscoptes, Cabanis, Mus. Hein., L (1850) 82. (Type Muscicapa Caroli- 

 nensis.) 



Bill shorter than the head, rather broad at base; rictal bristles moderately devel- 

 oped, reaching to the nostrils; wings a little shorter than the tail, rounded; second- 

 aries well developed, fourth and fifth quills longest, third and sixth little shorter, 

 first and ninth about equal, and about the length of secondaries, first quill more 

 than half the second, about half the third ; tail graduated, tail feather about seventy 

 one-hundredths inch shorter than the middle ; tarsi longer than lateral middle toe 

 and claw bj- about an additional half claw, scutellate anteriorly, more or less dis- 

 tinctly in different specimens; scutellaB about seven. 



The conspicuous naked membranous border round the eye of some thrushes, 

 with the bare space behind it, not appreciable. 



GALEOSCOPTES CAROLINENSIS. — Cabanis. 



The Cat-bird. 



Muscicapa Carolinensis, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 328. 

 Orphtus Carolinensis, Kvi&nhon. Syn. (1839), 88. 

 Mimus Carolinensis, Gray. Genera (1844-49). 



Turdus felivox, Vieillot. Ois. Am. Sept., IL (1807) 10. Aud. Om. Biog., IL 

 (1831) 171; V. 1839,440. 



Orphttis ftlivux, Swainson. F. Bor. Am., II. (1831) 192. 

 Turdus licidus, Wilson. Am. Cm., II. (1810) 90. 



