THKASIIKKS. \Vi;i-:\>. ITC. 



niiirh distress that one sympa- 

 thetic t<> liinl grief-, has no In-art \ pursue nm-sti-ati.'ii-.. 



Tin- I 'at bird i> gem-nous ami helpful I" others of hi kind in trouble 

 nf iniy s,,rt. feeding ami caring for deserted or orphaned young ones 

 of any specie*, ami always ready to aid dislraded parents in tin- dc- 

 fcn-e of their home ami little ones, 



lie is of a lively ami restless temperament, entirely lacking the 

 rvjMix' of his near relatives, the Thrushes. He is | ways toss- 

 ing upward or spreading his tail, jerking his lithe Imdy about, now 

 iTo'ichinj; like a rat reaily to -prin^, then .straightening himself up 

 MTV tall; one moment pufHn^ hi> feathers out till he looks likt> a 

 ball, and the next holding them clox-ly apiinst his Ixnly. He is very 

 playful, full of droll pranks and ijuaint j-erformanc-es. 1 know of 

 no l.inl better worth cherishing and cultivating than the Catbird. 



OLIVE TUOKXK MILLER. 



705. Harporhynchus ruAia < /.//<".'. HI:<>WN TIIRASIIEK; BROWK 



TIIKI.- : A 1'i'jK-r parts, win^.n, uiul tail rut'"Us ; wing- 



covcrta ti|>|Ktl with \\liitUh; utuler j-art.-i white, liciivily stn-ukc<l with black, 



n tJi.-tlir.mt ami middle of tin- lu-lly. L., 11'4-J; W., 4*06; T., 5-03; 



Kangt. Ka-t rii North A r'u-u; t>n-i-ls from the tiulf States to Mani- 

 toba, Maine, un>l Montreal: winters from Virginia soutliwunl. 



Wanhiiik't-'ii. very eoimnon S. H., Aj-1. :> t" Oct. 1">; 'Hvn>i"iuil]y winters. 

 i^. i-oiiiii)i>n S. K., Aj'l. _'-J to Oct. -_'s. Cumbri'liTe, MTV common S. R., 

 to Oct. 1.'.. 



. of twig*, conwe rootlet*, and leaves, lined with finer rootlets, in 

 bunhes, tliii-kets, or mi the irmund. f-'./'j*. thn-e to six, l>luish white or grayish 

 white, thickly. < -venly, and minutely sjK-ckle.l with cinnamon- or rufous- 

 brown, 1-08 x -80. 



lledi;,.rows. >|irublKTv about the Imrders of woods, scrubby growth, 

 or thickets in dry fields, are alike frequented by the Thrasher. Gen- 

 erally speaking he is an inhabitant of the undergrowth, where he passes 

 much time on the ground foraging among the fallen leaves. He is an 

 aeti\e, supj,-jous bird, who does not like to U- watched, and expresses 

 his annoyance with an unpleasant kissing note or sharply whistled 

 ichrin. 



Like many thicket-haunting birds who ordinarily shun observa- 

 tion, he seeks an ex |>o-,d |>-it ion when -ingiiit:. Morning and even- 

 ing he mount* to a favorite |M-nh generally in the upper brain 

 a tree ami deliberately gives his entire attention to his song. This 

 is repeated many times, the bird singing almost continuously for an 

 extended interval, lie is a fini-hed musician, and. although hisreper- 

 limited to one air, he rivals the Mockingbird in the richness 

 of his tones and execution. I never listen to the Thrasher's song with- 



