CAT BIRD. 639 



its fiuic't (k'mc';iin»r, iiiid Hits rapidly urouiid tlic disturbur; then, if he approaches too near 

 the nest, it dishes into his very face, uttering the alarm note in a quiclv Jiervous manner, 

 occasionally raising it to a sudden scream of rage, or now and then giving an angry 

 cackle. Tt persists in these frantic efforts to repel the invader until he leaves the locality. 

 Tliis feline-like note is not very agreeable to the ear, but the song is. quite lively' and 

 pleasant. It is somewliat Inirried, and consists of a series of I'ather inaccurate imitations 

 of the songs cf the Robin, Blue Bird, and of a few other species, mingled harmoniously 

 with some liner snatches of its own. While singing, the bird is perched in some elevated 

 r=ituation, and, as it renders some of the more difficult parts, the wings are fluttered, the 

 head thrown inick, and the bird gives undivided attention to its lay ; but during other 

 measures of tlie song it often hops from place to place, in a careless, though restless 

 manner. 



It sings well in coiilinenient, and I knew of one, that was kept Itv a friend, which 

 ])articidarly excelleil in this resi)e('t. It was very tame, seeming to enjoy the caresses of 

 the various memliers of the family, and lived a long and contented life; but at last met 

 its fale ill a singular manner, for a bird. It possessed an immoderate liking for mince- 

 pie and ate all that Avas i)resented to it ; but unfoitnnately tliis unnatural food did not 

 agree with it, for if it took a large quantity it would almost immediately be thrown into 

 convulsions; therefore it was seldom indulged in this luxury. But one day it escaped 

 from its cage, when no one was by, and iinding one of its favorite pies upon a table, ate 

 its lill. When its owner entered the room it was insensible, and as all efforts to restore it 

 to consciousness failed it soon died, falling a victim to its appetite. 



The Cat Bird is in full song just before the season of inculcation and continues to sino- 

 while the female is setting. Tlie time for nesting, in New England, is about the first week 

 in June, and by the middle of July the young are fully fledged. The situation chosen for 

 a summer home is usually some thicket by the side of fence rows, often at no great dis- 

 tance from a dwelling. The nest is commonly placed in a barberry bush, but a few feet 

 above the ground. After rearing its young, it retires to the swamps to moult. This oc- 

 curs during the latter part of July, and about the second week in October it takes its 

 departure for theSoutli. I found it very abundant at Key West in the first part of Novem- 

 ber after which the majority disappeared. At this time it moved in large tlocks, and fed, 

 with the preceding species, on the fruit of the jcrickly pear. It did not, however, subsist 

 wholly upon this food, but varied its diet by eating insects. It lives entirely upon in- 

 sectivorous food from the time of its arrival in New England, May 1st, until July ; after 

 which it eats greedily of the smaller fruits ; but as the beetles, larvae of the lepidoptera, 

 etc. , destroyed by it, earlier in the season, are generally injurious to vcgeation, we may 

 justly pardon it if it does help itself liberally to our cherries and strawberries. This poor 

 bird, however, has a bad reputation among farmers, owing partly to its annoying note, 

 and parti >■ to its supposed propensity to dine upon the eggs of other birds. Of this latter 

 charge it is innocent, and, moreover, as we have shown, does a great deal of good and if it 

 were to be banished from the land the husbandman would find his crops far lighter when 



