The Browx Thrasher, East and West. 187 



THE BROWN THRASHER, (TOXOSTOMA RUFUM ) 

 EAST AND WEST. 



BV ALTHEA R. SHERMAN. 



Various chang-es in the habits of some North American 

 birds are so well known that only the briefest reference to 

 them is necessary, such changes as have occurred in the 

 choice of nesting- places by the Chimney Swift, the Purple 

 Martin, and the Barn Swallow since the advent of the white 

 man on this continent, or more recently changes in the nest 

 site and feeding habits of the Nighthawk. since the intro- 

 duction of electric lights into our cities. If similar changes 

 are taking place in other species it is of importance to know 

 them, and to ascertain, if possible, the extent of the varia- 

 tion in habits and the causes that have led to these changes 



For several years the descriptions of the habits of the 

 Browr Thrasher that have appeared in various ornithological 

 writings, have led me to think, that there may be sectional 

 variations in the behavior and habits of this species, and 

 this impression has been deepened by conversations with 

 several of its observers, whom I met at the recent meetings 

 of the American Ornithologists' Union in Cambridge, Mass. 

 It is hoped that this article will call forth testimony from 

 others, that will show whether or not there do exist real 

 differences in habits, and in case there are such, that thereby 

 they may be placed on record for the benefit of future 

 workers, who may be able to discover the causes of thest 

 changes, also in which region it is that the species is diver- 

 gent from t>'pical Brown Thrasher behavior. In matters 

 of this kind the observations of one person through a series 

 of years cannot cover thoroughly anything other than a small 

 area;' and it is possible to reach satisfactory conclusions only 

 after securing testimony from many regarding their small 

 fields of observations. 



Since the view point of others with whom I have spoken 

 refers chiefly to eastern Massachusetts birds, and my own 

 observations have been made in northeastern Iowa, it is to 



