170 BIRDS OF THE PASTURE AND FOREST. 



erate singer. He seldom makes music his sole employ- 

 ment ; though at any hour of the day, from dawn till 

 evening twilight, he may occasionally be heard singing 

 and complaining. 



Though I have been all my life familiar with the notes 

 and manners of the Catbird, I have not been able to 

 discover that in his native woods he is a mocker. He 

 seems to me to have a definite song, unlike that of any 

 other songster, except the Eed-Tln-ush. It is not made 

 up from the notes of other birds, but is as unique and 

 original as the sons: of the Eobin or the Linnet. In the 

 song of any bird we may detect occasional strains that 

 resemble those of some other species ; but the Catbird 

 gives no more of these imitations than we might rea- 

 sonably regard as accidental. The truth is, that the 

 Thrushes, though delightful songsters, have inferior pow- 

 ers of execution, and cannot equal the Finches in learn- 

 ing and performing the notes of other birds. Even the 

 Mocking-Bird, compared with many other species, is a 

 very imperfect imitator of any notes which are rapid 

 and difficult of execution. He cannot aive the sons of 

 the Canary ; yet I have heard a caged Bobolink do this 

 to perfection. 



The modulation of the Catbird's sons: is somewhat 

 similar to that of the Eed-Thrush, and I have found it 

 sometimes difficult to determine, from the first few notes, 

 wliether I was listening to the one or the other; but after 

 a moment I detected one of those quaint utterances that 

 distinguish the notes of the Catbird. I am confident that 

 no man would mistake this song for that of any other 

 species except the Bed-Thrush ; and in this case his mis- 

 take would soon be corrected by longer listening. The 

 Red-Thrush has a louder and fuller intonation, more notes 

 that resemble speech, or that may be likened to it, and 

 some fine guttural tones which the other never utters. 



