FAMILY MIMID^E 



the eye. Bill black, proportionately large and 

 long. 



Female. Similar to male, including bill, but 

 lighter brown above and paler below. 



Young. Similar to adults. 



"A bird of the jungle" (Jewel). Recorded 

 from Lion Hill and Chepo. Dr. Chapman tells 

 me it has a song of two penetrating whistles, the 

 first low, the second high. 



55. Family MIMID^E 

 The Mockingbirds, Thrashers and Catbirds 



This is a rather small, exclusively American 

 family whose members are structurally close- 

 ly allied to the wrens, generally resembling 

 them in the shape of the bill, in the brown, 

 gray and buff colors that prevail in their 

 plumage and in their habit of skulking in 

 bushes and thickets, but they are very much 

 larger and more thrush-like in size and build, 

 and usually have a fairly long (sometimes con- 

 spicuously long) tail. The family includes 

 many very fine songsters. 



i. Dumetella carolinensis (Linnaeus) 

 Catbird 



Length 198 mm. (7.80 in.); tail 94 mm. 

 (3.80 in.) 



Male. Top of head and tail black; rest of 

 plumage slate gray; under tail coverts chestnut. 



Female. Similar to male. 

 * 365 



