AMERICAN ORXITJfOLOGY 



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BROWN THRASHER AND NEST. 



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NEST AND EGGS. 



The nest is built at varying heigiits, from the ground' up to six ft. It is 

 located preferably in a dense scraggly thorn bush or thicket, surrounded 

 by briars. It is rather compactly built, considering the material used, it 

 being constructed of small sticks and twigs and lined with fine roots. By 

 the latter part of May the set of four or five eggs will be completed; the 

 ground color varies white or creamy to a very pale greenish blue, and they 

 are thickly specked over the entire surface with reddish brown, 



HABITS. 



There has always been a doubt in my mind as to there being anywhere 

 a sweeter songster than this. With the exception of a few weeks in the 

 summer he is the life of the bird neighborhood, as he leads their joyful 

 chorus from morning till night. 



Once a year in every bird's life comes a period of misery. This is dur- 

 ing the summer molt, and the misery is probably caused more from the 

 feelings of the mind than from any bodily discomfort. They are conscious 

 that at this time they look rather shabby and they try to be as little conspi- 

 cuous as possible. During the last week in August I traversed a section of 

 country where, a week before the thrashers were pouring forth their mel- 

 ody on every hand. Not a sound was heard from them, and during my 

 day's trip, 1 saw but one of these birds, and as he disappeared 1 noticed 

 that a number of his tail feathers were several inches shorter than the 

 others. 



