48 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



longer and warmer autumns. I think, take them as 

 a whole, our migratory birds linger longer than for- 

 merly. I have seen marsh -wrens as late as October 

 4, and they were singing, too. Their stay is long 

 enough to raise three broods, but I have no knowl- 

 edge that they do. 



The Brown Thrasher, which is not a " thrush," as is 

 generally supposed, is a familiar feature of the country 

 in the Middle States and New England during the 

 summer, and of the Southern States in winter. It 

 comes to New Jersey in April, and later as it pro- 

 ceeds northward, but is nowhere a laggard as a mi- 

 gratory bird. It does not worry if Jack Frost dusts 

 its tail with salt. Having reached its chosen sum- 

 mer home, it immediately begins a series of rejoic- 

 ings over the fact, singing songs peculiarly its own 

 and of remarkable range, expression, and feeling. 

 No description can give a correct idea of how it 

 sings and what it seems to say. Nuttall correctly 

 says, 



" His music has the full charm of innate originality ; he takes no 

 delight in mimicry, and has therefore no title to the name of 

 Mocking-bird. On his first appearance he falters in his song like 

 the nightingale, but when his mate commences her cares and labors, 

 his notes attain all their vigor and variety." 



I have for years listened to the best efforts of what 

 I call the pioneer thrashers, and I could not detect a 

 trace of faltering. There appears to be always a few 

 in advance of the general flight, and these birds make 

 themselves known in no uncertain way. I have seen 

 one very early in April, when the morning was glit- 

 tering with hoar-frost, perch upon the very top of a 



