METHODS OF BIRD STUDY 51 



bird for our district, and one which is becoming rarer year by year. The 

 reason is largely that specimens are desired for collections. Hence rec- 

 ords commonly read : " Remarkable instance of a pair of mocking birds 

 nesting in central Massachusetts. On June 8 both parents with nest and 

 c Jitch of six eggs were collected and are now in . . ." etc. The mocking 

 bird is often described as the most remarkable bird musician in the 

 world, and we could certainly not do less than encourage it to breed as 

 f;tr north as possible. 



Catbird Dumetella carolinensis. 



Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum. Both of these birds are valuable 

 to control insects of garden and orchard, and, besides, are among our best 

 musicians. 



House wren Troglodytes aedon. Every garden should be well stocked 

 \\ ith this tireless insect destroyer. 



Marsh wren, short-billed Cistoihorus stelldris. Compare with house 

 ^ren for habitat, foods, nests. 



Family CerthiidG creepers. Brown creeper Certhia familidris ameri- 

 ctina. One of our winter birds that should be generally known and pro- 

 tected. 



Family Paridce nuthatches and titmice. White-breasted nuthatch 

 Sitta carolinensis. 



Chickadee Penthestes atricapillus. All are agreed that the chickadee 

 is one of the most useful birds in freeing orchards of all sorts of insect 

 ]> i sts, from cankerworms to aphides. 



Family Sylviid& kinglets, gnat catchers, etc. The ruby-crowned king- 

 1( t Regulus sdtrapa. 



Family Turdidot thrushes, bluebirds, etc. The thrushes are typical 

 " soft-billed " birds, their food being largely insects, worms, spiders, etc. 

 They also feed upon fruits in season, and this has complicated the prob- 

 lem of their economic value up to within recent years. A closer analy- 

 sis of their foods has demonstrated that the birds prefer native wild 

 fruits to cultivated ; hence this problem may be solved humanely and 

 s< ientifically by planting a succession of these. ^Esthetically the thrushes 

 a'-e among our most highly valued songsters, and structurally they rank 

 as the highest family of birds. 



Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina. 

 Wilson's thrush Hylocichla fuscescens. 

 Hermit thrush Hylocichla guttata pdllasi. 

 American robin Plane'sticus migratorius. 

 Bluebird Sidlia sialis. 



