322 BULLETIN 19 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



varies but little from year to year. Even during times of unseason- 

 ably cold weather the catbird does not seem to halt its movements to 

 await for warmer days but usually proceeds on schedule. 



The catbird travels chiefly at night and is so quiet that its great 

 flights are seldom detected, but on arrival at their breeding grounds 

 their presence is announced by their delightful songs. Each spring 

 during the first week of May I am awakened by the first catbird 

 song from a friendly individual who sings from his perch in the 

 catalpa tree just outside my window. He seems eager to let us and 

 everyone else in the neighborhood know that he is here for the season. 

 He also informs his neighbors that the syringa bushes, lilacs, and 

 arborvitae about the catalpa tree are his territory and that he is ready 

 to challenge any intruder. 



Courtshi'p. — After a few days the female arrives and an animated 

 courtship begins. This is carried on largely in the seclusion of the 

 dense shrubbery and evergreens which cover much of the backyard. 

 Often they m^y be seen dashing in and out of the thick cover, the 

 male in hot pursuit of his elusive mate. Frequently he pauses for 

 an outpouring of song, with his plumage raised and tail lowered 

 he bows with his bill toward his perch. He slides about in a curious 

 manner, or struts in a fantastic fashion with his wings lowered and 

 tail erected, and sometimes he wheels about displaying the only bit 

 of color he possesses: the contrasting chestnut patch on his under 

 tail coverts. After a few days of arduous courtship nest-building be- 

 gins, with the song period of the male reaching its climax. He sings 

 almost continuously during the early morning and evening hours and 

 sometimes well into the night. As he sings he seems to be well 

 aware that he is an accomplished and versatile vocalist. He gives a 

 distinct impression of a bird that likes to show off; he wishes to be 

 heard and seen by everyone. His self-consciousness and vanity at 

 such times are most amusing. Not only does the male sing vigor- 

 ously but also he is ever on the alert to protect his territory against 

 all intruders whether it be the gray squirrel that comes to the feeding 

 shelf nearby or the Baltimore oriole that builds its nest on a pendent 

 limb of the tall elm bordering the street. 



Nesting. — The catbird usually chooses low dense thickets, tangles 

 of vines, or small bushy trees for its nesting site. Often it is in 

 vegetation bordering marshes, streams, or forests. In all cases the 

 nest is well concealed by foliage. It is an adaptable species and 

 may seek the habitations of man to build in hedgerows or cultivated 

 shrubs of the gardens. At Brunswick, Maine, there is a pair that 

 builds each year in a mass of shrubbery within a few yards of the 

 house where the frequent presence of members of the household 

 fails to disturb their normal activities. The catbird is characteristic 

 of the country home, and I have vivid memories of a pair that regu- 



