The Cat Bird. 91 



grating cat-like mew {pay, pay, pay) which it often utters, 

 on being approached or otiended. As the irritation increases, 

 this note becomes more hoarse, reiterated and vehement ; and 

 sometimes this petulence and anger are carried so far, as to 

 persecute every intruder who approaches the premises. This 

 temper often prevails after the young are fledged, and though 

 originating, no doubt, in parental anxiety, it sometimes ap- 

 pears to outlive that season, and occasionally becomes such 

 an annoyance, that a revengeful and fatal blow from a stick 

 or stone, is but too often, with the thoughtless and prejudiced, 

 the reward of this harmless and capricious provocation. At 

 such times, with little apparent cause, the agitation of the 

 bird is excessive ; she hurries backward and forward, with 

 hanging wings, and open mouth, mewing and screaming in a 

 paroxism of scolding anger, and alighting almost to peck the 

 very hand that offers the insult. To touch a twig or branch 

 in any part of the garden or wood is often amply sufficient to 

 call down the amusing termagant. This harmless excess, and 

 simulation of grimalkin's tone, that wizard animal, so much 

 disliked by many, are unfortunate associations in the cry of 

 the cat bird ; and thus coupled with an ill name, this delightful 

 and familiar songster, who seeks out ihe very society of man, 

 and reposes an unmerited confidence in his protection, is 

 treated with undeserved obloquy and contempt. The flight 

 of the cat bird is laborious, and usually continued only from 

 bush to bush; his progress, however, is very wily, and his 

 attitudes and jerks amusingly capricious. He appears to have 

 very little fear of enemies, often descends to the ground in 

 quest of insects, and though almost familiar, is very quick 

 in his retreat from real danger. 



This common and abundant species begins to construct its 

 nest some time in the month of May. The situation in which 

 he delights to dwell, is commonly a dark thicket, in the woods, 

 or close bush in some recluse part of the garden, at the dis- 

 tance of five or ten feet from the ground, according to the 

 convenience of the situation. The materials are coarse but 

 substantial ; the external part is commonly made of small 

 interlaced twigs, old grass and dry leaves ; to these succeed 

 thin strips of bark, often of the red coder, somewhat aggluti- 

 nated. The inside is lined and bedded with black root fibres 

 of ferns ; other accidental materials sometimes make a fan- 

 tastic part of the fabric. One has been known to carry away 

 an edging of lace which was missed, and at length again re- 

 covered after the rearing of the brood, whose dainty bed it 

 assisted to form. I have frequently found in the external coat 



