FAMILY Treglodytide. 
Again, the voice of the Catbird generally comes from 
the thicket, perhaps near some meandering streamlet, 
and to see the fellow sing is indeed a rare treat, for he 
does not fancy being watched. But with the Thrasher 
conditions are reversed; his voice comes from one of the 
topmost branches of a tree on the meadow where he 
holds a conspicuous position and commands an exten- 
sive outlook. He does not care in the least whether you 
observe him or not; the business of song is too import- 
ant a matter to brook interruption, so he proceeds in an 
energetic manner with an eye on you and a mental 
reservation, perhaps, to be on guard lest you approach 
too near, and finally finishes the task in hand as though 
it were a good thing to get it off his mind in thoroughly 
complete shape, without haste and without rest. Mr. 
Cheney seems to think he sings in a fine frenzy of in- 
spiration; he says, ‘‘ As the fervor increases his long and 
elegant tail droops; all his feathers separate; his whole 
plumage is lifted, it floats, trembles; his head is raised and~ 
his bill is wide open; there is no mistake, it is the power 
of the god. No pen can report him now; we must wait 
until the frenzy passes.” That is an exceedingly good 
pen description of the bird in the attitude of singing, 
which it would be idle to attempt to match. Watch 
the graceful little musician as he performs, and note his 
complete absorption in the music; his long, slender bill 
is wide open, his head is thrown back, and his notes are 
poured forth in rapid succession; his pauses are rhyth- 
mical and almost exactly in accordance with metronome 
time; his notes are in groups of two, three, four, and 
even five, nearly every group is repeated once, and each 
one is in a voice register sharply contrasting with the 
other; he sings high and he sings low, sometimes with 
an overpowering overtone, other times with a clear and 
liquid whistle; every one of the note-groups resembles 
some portion of the Catbird’s song, yet each is delivered 
in a manner altogether too loud and emphatic to keep 
one long in doubt as to the singer.* My notation shows 
repeated phrases and rhythmic pauses. 
* Read also what Mr. Bradford Torrey has so charmingly written 
of the song on page 117 of Birds in the Bush. 
214 
