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Our black-capped, gray CATBIRD is 

 familiar to nearly everyone. Even 

 should anyone not know the bird he 

 would immediately call it a Catbird 

 once he heard its mewing call. Thick- 

 ets and briers are the favorite resorts 

 of this species. While his mate is busy 

 with household cares, the male spends 

 a great deal of time in the tops of one 

 of the higher bushes- composing new 

 songs. Catbirds are not as good a 

 mimic nor as pleasing songsters as 

 Mockingbirds, although but few of our 

 birds can equal or excel them. Their 

 performance is spoiled somewhat by the 

 introduction of various harsh or squeal- 

 ing and cat-calls. 



They arrive from the south about the 

 first of May and, with very little delay 

 or confusion, become mated and com- 

 mence building their nests of twigs and 

 rootlets in some thicket. The four eggs 

 that constitutes a set are a bright 

 greenish-blue, much deeper colored 

 than those of Robins. 



"Jenny Wren." They always seem to me like animated, 

 feathered music boxes, filled almost to the bursting point 

 with melody. They are well named House Wrens for they 

 are seldom found far from habitations and prefer to make 

 their homes in orchard trees or in bird boxes erected for 

 them on the premises. 



In late fall and early spring and sometimes during the 

 winter we may see a tiny brown bird with up-turned tail 

 creeping about through walls, piles of brush or in thickets. 

 This also is a wren, the WINTER WREN. If we approach 

 too closely in order to get a better view, he will dive down 

 into the brush and scold with a deep chattering note. In 

 spring, our attention may sometimes be attracted to them 

 by a loud, clear, ringing and business-like song that is, per- 

 haps, a better performance than that of the House Wren 

 but given less often and without the unrestrained enthusiasm 

 of the latter bird. A few Winter Wrens nest in mountain- 

 ous or higher portions of our range but the majority of 

 them pass beyond our border to Canada. 



The large CAROLINA WREN, which is so abundant and 

 noisy in our southern states occurs north locally to southern 

 New England and New York. 



Our three representatives of the Thrasher family, the 

 Catbird, Brown Thrasher and Mockingbird, are wonderful 



