THE CAT-BIRD. tis 
DESCRIPTION. 
Third quill longest, first shorter than sixth; prevailing color dark plumbeous, 
more ashy beneath; crown and nape dark sooty-brown; wings dark-brown, edged 
with plumbeous; tail greenish-black, the lateral feathers obscurely tipped with 
plumbeous; the under tail coverts dark-brownish chestnut; female smaller. 
Length, eight and eighty-five one-hundredths inches; wing, three and sixty-five 
one-hundredths; tail, four; tarsus, one and five one-hundredths inch. 
This very common and well-known species arrives in 
New England about the first week in May,—in Maine, 
perhaps about the 15th of that month. It is distributed 
abundantly throughout these States, and its habits are so 
well known that a description here is hardly necessary. 
During the mating season, and indeed through the greater 
part of the summer, the song of the male is heard in the 
woods, pastures, and gardens at early morning, and some- 
times through the day ; and, although most persons describe 
it as being harsh and uncouth, it is really very pleasing and 
melodious. It is a sort of medley, like that of the Brown 
Thrush, but not near so loud: the bird usually perches on 
a low tree, where, standing nearly erect, his wings slightly 
expanded, and his tail spread beneath him, he pours forth 
his notes sometimes for half an hour at a time. In addition 
to this song, he, in common with the female, has a plaintive 
note almost exactly like the mewing of a cat; and the spe- 
cific name of felivor, given it by some authors, is much 
more descriptive and appropriate than that of Carolinensis, 
which is neither descriptive nor proper. 
The alarm-note is a rattling cry, like the sound of quick 
breaking of several strong sticks: it is perhaps well ex- 
pressed by the syllables trat-tat-tat-tat, uttered very quickly. 
I have noticed that this bird, as do many others, prefers the 
neighborhood of thickly settled districts, even a home in 
their midst, to others of a wilder character; and, when 
travelling through the deep forests, I have invariably found, 
that, when these birds became abundant, a settlement was 
near. 
Soon after mating, the birds build: this is from about the 
