176 



1874; 9, 1875; 8, 1S76; 11, 1877; April 27, 1878), departing late in 

 October (October 16, 1874). 



Immediately after their arrival, they are heard singing in thickets, 

 and soon they commence nesting. I found them with eggs — one nest 

 containing two and anoiher four eggs — as early as May loth, 1878. 

 Like the rest of the family, they are fond of most kinds of berries, of 

 which their food mainly consists, in autumn. Their nests are usually 

 placed in bushy thickets, and are loosely built of sticks and whatever 

 soft lining material is available. I have seen a handsomely embroid- 

 ered handkerchief, and a lady's escaped "frizzes," thus turned to 

 account by them. But their eggs are of a deep emerald-green, uni- 

 form in color, the most beautiful that we have. 



Dimensions.'- — Average measurements of four specimens: length, 

 8-94; stretch, 11-59; wing, 3-54; tail, 3-65; bill from nostril, -48; tar- 

 sus, 1-10. 



7. Harporhynchus rufus, (Linne). Brown Thrasher. An 

 abundant summer resident; breeds. Arrives the tirst of May (April 

 26, 1872; May 8, 1873; 5, 1874; April 30, 1875; 30,1876; May 1, 1877; 

 April 27, 1878), departing in October (October 8, 1876; 9, 1878). 



Its presence is first announced, in spring, b'y its loud, sweet song, 

 forcibly reminding one that spring has really come, for spring can 

 scarcely be said to have begun till the trees commence to unfold their 

 blossoms ; and it is followed in a few days by the sweetest notes we 

 ever hear — those of the Wood Thrush. 



The Brown Thrashers seem to be mated immediately after their 

 arrival from the South, and they soon begin to build their nests. So 

 joyous are they at this season, that their song is heard all day long. 

 Even when engaged in the matter-of-fact occupations and duties that 

 pertain to setting up housekeeping, when bustling and scratching 

 amongst the leaves and rubbish, for the materials for their nests, they 

 are observed to pause, at intervals, to sing. But they are best heard 

 in the early morning, at daybreak; then the males mount to the top- 

 most bough of some tree, surrounded by the brushwood that they 

 inhabit, and, with tail dropped and wings slightly drooping, they give 

 expression, in their song, to an ecstasy of joyous emotion; the strain 

 is taken up and repeated by the different performers, and comes to 

 the listener from various directions and distances, mingled with the 

 notes of the other woodland songsters, and harmonizing with the 

 various siguts and perfumes, all of which unite to produce that happy 

 combination — a country May morning. 



The nest is usually placed on the ground, in some spot that is well 

 adapted for concealment; but sometimes a low bush or clump of matted 

 vines is selected instead, or, rarely, it is placed in a tree, at a consid- 

 erable height. I found their nest containing the full complement of 



