78 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part I. 



THE SOLITARY VIREO. 



THE BROWN THRUSH. 



THE CAT BIRD. 



bird more frequently than in any other. 

 The specimen from which the foregoing 

 description was made, was shot in Bur- 

 lington. 



THE SOLITARY VIREO. 

 Vireo solitarius. — Vieillot. 



Description. -Dusky olive above ; bel- 

 ly white ; head bluish gray ; breast pale 

 cinereus, inclining to reddish gray on tiie 

 throat ; flanks and sides of the breast yel- 

 low ; wings dusky brown, with two white 

 bands; tail emarginate and nearly black ; 

 primaries and tail feathers bordered with 

 light green ; a line of white from the nos- 

 tril to the eye, which it encircles; bill 

 short, broad ; upper mandible black, low- 

 er pale bluish gray ; iris hazel. Female 

 with tlie head dusky olive and the throat 

 greenish. Lenirth 5 in. ; spread 8. — Nut. 



History. — This is a rare bird in this 

 state ; but is said to resemble the prece- 

 ding species in its habits It suspends its 

 nest from the forked twigs of bushes, and 

 lays 4 or o eggs, which are liglitflesli col- 

 or, with brownish red spots towards tlie 

 large end. 



Gends Turdus. 



Generic Characters. — Bill of moderalc di- 

 mensions, wiih cuuing cHges, compressed and 

 curved towards the point ; the upper mandible pcn- 

 eraliy notched towards the exiremity, the loner 

 roundish ; a few .scattered bristles at the an^le of 

 the mouth; nostrils basal, lateral, rounded, and 

 half closed bv a naked membrane; tongue notched 

 at the tip; feet rather stout; tarsus longer than 

 the middle toe, which is attached at the base to 

 the outer one; wings rather short; the third, 

 fourth and fifth qviill longest. The female and 

 young differ little from the male, excepting the 

 young are more spotted. They moult annually. 



THE BROWN THRUSH. 



Tardus riifas. — Linnaeus. 



Description. — All the upper parts, and 

 the under side of the tail, bright reddish 

 brown ; breast and belly yellowish white, 

 marked with long pointed dusky spots ; 

 wings crossed by two whitish bars, re- 

 lieved with black ; tail long, reaching 

 near 4 inches beyond the wings, and roun- 

 ded ; bill long, slightly arched, black 

 above, and wiiitish below near the base ; 

 nostrils naked ; short, stiff, black bristles 

 over the angle of the mouth ; legs, feet 

 and claws dusky brown ; tarsus scutila- 

 ted in front ; middle toe much the long- 

 est ; iris bright orange. Length 11 in. ; 

 spread of the wings 13 incites. 



History. — This bird is known in many 

 places by the name of French Mocking 



Birk, and surely no bird, if we except the 

 Mockingbird (Tardus pohjglottus), excels 

 it in the variet}' and sweetness of its song. 

 It arrives here from the south the latter 

 part of April, and commences building its 

 nest early in May The nest is common- 

 ly built upon the ground, or but little el- 

 evated above it, in some little thicket, 

 and is constructed with sticks and lined 

 with fine fibrous roots. Tlie eggs are 4 

 or 5 in number, of a greenish white color, 

 and sprinkled all over with reddish brown 

 spots. During the period of incubation 

 tlie male will often sit and sing for hours 

 upon the top of a neighboring tree. His 

 music is original, but varied, full, and 

 cliarming. The food of the Brown Thrush 

 consists of insects, worms, berries, and 

 fruits of various kinds. This bird is known 

 in many places by the name of Thrasher, 

 or Red Thrasher. 



THE CAT-BIRD. 



Turdus fclivox. — Vieillot. 



Description. --General color dark slate, 

 licrhter beneath; top of the head, bill, and 

 inside of the mouth, black ; under tail 

 coverts reddisii chestnut ; bill a little 

 hooked at the point ; legs and feet brown ; 

 first quill very short, the 4th and .5th lon- 

 orest; qtiill feathers ligliter on the outer 

 edires ; tail long and rounded. Length 

 8^ inches; spread of the wings 11^ in. 



History. — The Cat Bird is very com- 

 mon in all parts of Vermont, where it ar- 

 rives from the south in the early part of 

 May. This bird, like most others of the 

 family, is an excellent songster, and may 

 be heard in almost every neighborhood 

 durino- tlie early part of summer, usher- 

 ing in the dawn with his cheerful strains. 

 When tiiisbird is disturbed while rearing 

 its young, its note is harsli and unpleas- 

 ant, somewhat resembling the mewing of 

 a cat, and from this circumstance it un- 

 doubtedly received the name of Cat Bird. 

 The Cat Bird builds its nest in a thicket 

 of bushes, at the height of 5 or (i feet from 

 tlie ground. It is constructed vvitii sticks 

 and briars, and lined with fine tliread- 

 like roots, which are of a dark color. The 



