BIRCH BROWSINGS. 219 



us for all we had undergone. It was the 

 first thing in order, the worms were safe 

 till after this morning chorus. I judged that 

 the birds roosted but a few feet from the 

 ground. In fact, a bird in all cases roosts 

 where it builds, and the wood-thrush occu- 

 pies, as it were, the first story of the woods. 



There is something singular about the dis- 

 tribution of the wood-thrushes. At an earlier 

 stage of my observations, I should have been 

 much surprised at finding it in these woods. 

 Indeed, I had stated in print on two occasions 

 that the wood-thrush was not found in the 

 higher lands of the Catskills, but that the 

 hermit-thrush and the veery, or Wilson's 

 thrush, were common. It turns out that this 

 statement is only half true. The wood- 

 thrush is found also, but is much more rare 

 and secluded in its habits than either of the 

 others, being seen only during the breeding 

 season on remote mountains, and then only 

 on their eastern and southern slopes. I have 

 never yet in this region found the bird spend- 

 ing the season in the near and familiar woods, 

 which is directly contrary to observations I 

 have made in other parts of the State. So 

 different are the habits of birds in different 

 localities. 



