44 BIRD-SONGS ABOUT WORCESTER. 



first wood-thrush, which, with the possible 

 exception of the orioles and Wilson's 

 thrushes, was the most important arrival 

 of the week. The Wilsons came Friday, 

 and on Saturday and Sunday I heard my 

 first cat-bird, warbling vireo, oven-bird, 

 wood-pewee, and night-hawk. 



The brown-thrush (harporhynckus ritfus) 

 and the cat-bird (jnimus carolinensis) are 

 thrushes belonging to the same genus with 

 the mocking-bird, and, like this celebrated 

 Southern songster, they have for a song a 

 curious medley, which often suggests the 

 notes of other birds. Ornithologists are 

 now generally agreed, however, .that this 

 is really a song of their own, and that they 

 are in no wise guilty of plagiarism. There 

 is a very strong family likeness between 

 their songs, and it is sometimes very diffi- 

 cult to distinguish them with certainty. 

 The brown-thrush's contralto, however, is 

 much fuller and rounder than the cat- 

 bird's soprano, and he wants the cat-bird's 

 feline mew, which has given this bird his 

 name. The strong, clear sow-ivheat of the 



