THE CAT-BIRD 



own that was a reminder of all fine wood music yet a repetition 

 of none. Because of this I forgave him much. 



There was much to forgive; for among Bob's forty nests 

 there were Blackbirds, Song Sparrows and Doves on that same 

 stretch of fence, before it ended at the river. There were King- 

 birds, Robins, Vireos, Bluebirds and Orioles in the orchard; 

 beside the river, Cardinals, Cuckoos, Warblers, Indigo Finches, 

 Sandpipers, Grebe and Shitepoke; while in the meadow were the 

 Bobolink and Lark, Quail and Ground Robin. Into the home 

 affairs of each bird of them at some point in my work came that 

 Cat-bird with his sharp little beak and sharper black eyes. 

 Much that I formerly had laid to the credit of my ancient enemy 

 the Crow, in reality proved to be the work of the Cat-bird. 



He stole eggs from Vireo and Warbler when only two and 

 three in a nest proved them fresh. It was so easy, while a little 

 mother the size of a Goldfinch was bathing or exercising, to slip 

 to her nest, pick out a tiny, thin-shelled egg, crush it, and suck 

 up the contents. Also he was responsible for the disappearance 

 of many newly hatched Warblers and other birds of their size, 

 because one day, directly before my lens, he darted to the nest 

 of a Summer Yellow Bird, snatched and swallowed a baby as if 

 it were a juicy grub. 



That day I determined to ask Bob to shoot him. The 

 following morning, while making studies of a pair of his own 

 nestlings, he paid me the tribute of singing to me, as I worked; 

 his mixed chorus of orchard, meadow and forest almost broke 

 my heart by the most beautiful improvisations I yet had heard 

 from him, and ended my captivation quite by continuing his song 

 while two of his young perched on my hand, instead of coming 

 down and frightening them into a panic with his cat-calls as I 

 feared he would. 



So now I am traitor to other dainty little folk I should pro- 

 tect, for while beyond all doubt he is responsible for much dam- 



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