542 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



make-up was shown by the simple experiment of laying 

 a rag across the nest of each bird, thus concealing the 

 eggs. With one look the phoebe grasped the situation, 

 flew to tlie nest and pulled the rag away. The catbird, 

 on the other hand, was unable to comprehend, examined 

 the rag from all sides and finally began to incubate be- 

 side it with no attempt at removing it. It showed itself, 

 thereby, a non-adaptable species, and thus we find it 

 throughout its range. 



In some places in the south the catbird is regarded 

 with suspicion and is believed to rob the nests of other 

 birds, but in the north it is a favorite and no stigma is 

 attached to its name. It is very largely insectivorous and 

 therefore beneficial, although, together with the robin 

 and the waxwing and many other birds, it shows a par- 

 tiality for cherries and other small fruits in their season. 

 Where mulberries and wild fruits are available, the cul- 

 tivated varieties seldom suffer. 



The thrashers, numbering about twenty species, are 

 the largest of the mockingbird family. Their center of 

 distribution is in Southwestern United States and they 

 extend southward through Mexico and westward through 

 Southern California and Lower California. Only one 

 species, the brown thrasher or "brown thrush," as it is 

 sometimes called, is found east of the Rocky Mountain 

 region. It occurs throughout the East as far north as 

 Quebec and occasionally somewhat further. 



Thrashers or "thrushers," as the word is sometimes 

 written, are dark brown birds, more or less thrushlike 

 in appearance, but larger and more slender and have 

 longer tails and somewhat curved bills. In fact, the 

 word "thrusher" is thought by some to represent a "com- 

 parative" of the word "thrush," applicable because of 

 the larger size of the thrashers. However this may be, 

 the brown thrasher is often confused with the wood 

 thrush, although it differs in its much longer bill and 

 tail and its streaked rather than spotted underparts. It 

 is a shy bird, much more often seen than heard, for it 

 keeps to the undergrowth, where it scratches among the 

 leaves or digs holes with its bill, in its search of larvae. 

 The sound produced as it apparently blows the soil 

 from its nostrils is an almost animal-like sneeze. When 

 singing the male mounts to the topmost branches of a tree 

 from which its loud ringing notes can be heard for long 

 distances. The song is a rich medley and though lim- 

 ited in its range and confined to one aiv, rivals the mock- 

 ingbird's in its exuberance and perfection. 



Occasionally the thrashers live about gardens, es- 

 pecially if some effort is made to develop a tangle of 

 shrubbery in which they can always find seclusion and 

 safety from stray cats. Like the mockingbirds and cat- 

 birds, they will come to a food shelf for suet and crumbs 

 and sometimes become quite friendly. They are equally 

 ferocious in the defense of their nests, which are built 

 in the heart of a thicket or on the ground beneath c; 

 tangle of vines, and they do not hesitate to peck and 

 scratch one venturing too close. Their nests resemble 

 those of the catbirds and mockingbirds, having an outer 



layer of sticks and a lining of rootlets, but the eggs are 

 different from both, being rather slender, grayish in 

 color, finely and evenly speckled with brown. 



The curve-billed thrasher of Texas and New Mexico, 

 the Palmer thrasher of the cactus deserts of Arizona, 

 the California thrasher of the Pacific Coast region and 

 the Crissal thrasher of the whole Southwest are all 

 about the size of the brown thrasher, but are less strik- 

 ingly marked, being uniform shades of brown or gray 

 with few streaks. The sage thrasher is a somewhat 

 smaller bird, appearing like a small mockingbird with a 

 streaked breast. It is one of the commonest birds of 

 the sage brush country and has much the same habits as 

 the other members of the family. 



LUMBER FOR THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 



^^1 WENTY-FIVE million feet of lumber and timber 

 vl^ are wanted in France at an early date, it is re- 

 ^^ ported, for the use of the American expeditionary 

 forces. This will supply some of the needs of the 

 troops for forest products until the American forest en- 

 gineer regiments reach France and begin cutting. 



It is reported that 10,000,000 feet of lumber and tim- 

 ber should be delivered in France by September 1, 8,000,- 

 000 feet by October 1 and 5,000,000 feet additional by 

 November 1. All this is said to be in addition to the 

 4,000,000 feet of dock timber and lumber for which the 

 engineer corps of the army opened bids July 21. 



The material wanted for use in France is described 

 by lumbermen as square and sound. It is needed for 

 wharves and docks, railroads, bridgework and terminal 

 construction. It is said that it may all be bought within 

 a hundred miles of the seacoast in order to insure prompt 

 delivery. 



Samuel M. Felton, president of the Chicago & Alton 

 Railroad, who is in charge of arrangements for the ten 

 or twelve regiments of railroad engineers for service in 

 France, is much interested in the plans for buying Ameri- 

 can timber and lumber for use in France. 







FORESTERS IN DEMAND 



Y reason of the enlistment of numerous foresters 

 throughout the country for service abroad the war 

 is making a heavy demand upon the forestry pro- 

 fession. Further, the war-time demand for forest 

 products for a thousand uses from wood alcohol to bridge 

 timbers means increased activity in the lumber business, 

 which employs many men having forestry training. Th( 

 national and state forests of the country must not b( 

 neglected in the face of so great need for their products, 

 which points to the increased opportunities for men in 

 this young but important profession. 



f? 



TTORESTS do not improve by disuse any more than 

 a man's muscles grow stronger in idleness." The 

 farm woodlot is a small forest and will repay the owner 

 who takes care of it. 



