182 Sketches of Some Common Birds. 



For nesting places the catbird is partial to wild goose- 

 berry and blackberry bushes, either isolated or in thickets. 

 A thorny bush growing in a hedgerow is a most tempting 

 site for its home. Dwarf trees and low climbing, cluster- 

 ing vines furnish well-hidden retreats; and orchard 

 trees, with hedges usually surrounding such places, con- 

 tain many tempting nooks for rearing feathered families. 

 The nest is commonly set in a crotch, or where contiguous 

 twigs afford a firm support. It is placed from two to 

 eight feet from the ground. The structure is formed of 

 dried hedge or other thorny twigs, stems of weeds and 

 grasses, dried leaves, and strips of bark and husks, with a 

 lining of dried rootlets. The eggs number four or five, 

 four being the ordinary complement. They are unspotted 

 bluish-green or greenish-blue, and average .95 by .70 of 

 an inch. Probably two broods are reared in many in- 

 stances each summer in this region. 



After carefully examiningthe animal and vegetable ele- 

 ments of the food of the catbird in detail, Prof Forbes sum- 

 marizes the value of the species as follows: "Eemembering 

 that the chief economical service of the robin is done before 

 and after the midsummer wealth of fruits tempts it from 

 the chase of insects, we find it not unreasonable that the 

 catbird, coming later and departing earlier, scarcely an- 

 ticipating the garden fruits in its arrival, and disappearing 

 when the vineyards and orchards are at their best, should 

 be a much less useful bird than its companion. The credit 

 I have given it must bo still further reduced because of its 

 serious depredations in the apple orchard. I have often 

 seen it busily scooping out the fairest side of the ripest 

 early apples, unsurpassed in skill and industry at this em- 

 ployment by the redheaded woodpecker or the blue jay.'* 

 (Bull. No. 3, 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., Nov. 1880.) 



Some observers report that the catbird has a relish for 

 the eggs of other birds, and that while it does not sys- 

 tematically harry the nests of its neighbors, it often steals 

 into the homes of owners tem])orarily absent and devours 

 the eggs. John Burroughs states that he has seen the cat- 

 bird in the act of devouring the eggs of the least fly- 

 catcher. Upon this matter I have no personal knowledge. 

 However, I have often watched the catbird closely when 



