CHAPTER XX. 



May 7 May 13. 



THE BROWN THRASHER. 



Order Passeres. Suborder Oscines. 



Family Troglodytidae Subfamily Miminse. 



Genus Harporhynchus. Subgenus Methriopterus. 



Species Harporhynchus rufus. 



Length 10.50 to 12.00; wing, 4.10 to 4.60; tail, 5.00 to 5.75. 

 Migration North, March; south, September. 



"Before the quick'ning of the grass, 



When violets blow. 



And to and fro 



O'er folded buds the bleak winds pass, 

 A thrush upon the elm tree near 



Sings with reassuring sweetness, 



'Soon will end this incompleteness, 

 When June is here- When June is here!'" 



The family Troglodytidae, composed of the thrashers and. 

 wrens, is divided into two sub-families, namely, Miminae-. 

 composed of the thrashers, mocking birds and catbirds, and 

 Troglodytinse, composed of the wrens. The former has in 

 it about fifty species, and while they are all American birds, 

 only a dozen species reach the United States, and these rank 

 among our best song birds. 



The brown thrasher, like the golden-winged woodpecker,, 

 has many names, some of which -are the ground thrush, tawny 

 thrush, red thrush, brown mocking bird, French mocking bird 



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