140 CITIZEN BIRD 



The Catbird 



Length between eight and nine inches. 

 Upper parts slate color. 

 Crown, bill, feet, and tail black. 



Under parts lighter grayish-slate color, except a chestnut-red 

 patch under the tail. 



A Summer Citizen of the United States. 



A Ground Gleaner, Tree Trapper, and Seed Sower. 



THE BROWN THRASHER 



" As I told you a moment ago, this handsome clean- 

 built bird with keen eyes, curved bill, and long graceful 

 tail that opens and shuts like a fan, has several names 

 besides that of Brown Thrasher, which seems the most 

 suitable for him." 



" He looks redder than brown, for we called the Wood 

 Thrush ' brown,' " said Nat. 



" Yes, his back is a much brighter brown than that 

 of any Thrush, and this will show you the need in 

 studying birds of being able to distinguish between 

 several shades of the same color. There are words to 

 represent these different grades of color, such as 'rufous' 

 for reddish-brown and ' fuscous ' for dusky-brown ; 

 these you must learn later on, for some of them are 

 pretty hard ones. Now it is better for you to use 

 words whose meaning is perfectly familiar to you. 



" The brown of this Thrasher, you see, is brighter 

 than that of the Wood Thrush ; it is a ruddy brown, 

 with a faint brassy glint, something like a polished door- 

 knob, particularly when the sun strikes his back." 



" How he scratches round upon the ground," said 



