122 THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
cow-hair. The female lays four or five eggs of a light 
blue colour, with a few dots of purplish black near the 
great end. 
9. Purple Grakle. 
On the tallest cedar and pine trees they generally build 
their nests in company, about the beginning or middle of 
April; sometimes ten or fifteen nests being on the same 
tree, and measure five inches in diameter within, and four 
in depth; are composed outwardly of mud, mixed with 
long stalks and roots of a knotty kind of grass, and lined 
with fine bent and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a 
bluish olive colour, marked with large spots and straggling 
streaks of black and dark brown, also with others of a 
fainter tinge. They rarely produce more than one brood 
in aseason. The trees where these birds build are often at 
no great distance from the farm-house, and overlook the 
plantations. 
10. King Bird. 
The King bird builds his nest very often on the horizon- 
tal branch of an apple tree; frequently also, as Catesby ob- 
serves, on a sassafras tree, at no great height from the 
ground, and on pear trees. The outside consists of small 
slender twigs, tops of withered flowers of the plant yar- 
row, and others, well wove together with tow and wool; 
and is made large, and remarkably firm and compact. It 
is usually lined with fine dry fibrous grass, and horse hair. 
The eggs are five, of a very pale cream colour, or dull 
white, marked with a few large spots of deep purple, and 
other smaller ones of light brown, chiefly, though not alto- 
gether, towards the great end. They generally build 
twice in the season. 
11. Cat Bird. 
This bird builds its nest about the beginning of May. 
The place chosen for this purpose is generally a thicket of 
briars or brambles, a thorn bush, thick vine, cedar, or the 
fork of a small sapling; no great solicitude is shown for 
concealment, though few birds appear more interested for 
the safety of their nestand young. The materials are dry 
leaves and weeds, small twigs and fine dry grass; the inside 
is lined with the fine black fibrous roots of some plant. 
The female lays four, sometimes five eggs, of a uniform 
greenish blue colour, without any spots. They generally 
raise two, and sometimes three brood in a season. 
12. Blue Bird. 
About the middle of March, the Blue bird is seen, ac- 
companied by his mate, visiting the box in the garden, or 
the hole in the old apple-tree, the cradle of some genera- 
tions of his ancestors; and as soon as the spot is fixed on,» 
they begin to clean out the old nest, and the rubbish of 
the former year, and to prepare for the reception of their 
future offspring. 
The female lays five, and sometimes six eggs, of a pale 
blue colour; and raises two, and sometimes three broods in 
a season; the male taking the youngest under his particu- 
lar care while the female is again sitting. 
13. Song Sparrow. 
The Song Sparrow builds in the ground, under a tuft of 
grass; the nest is formed of fine dry grass, and lined with 
horse hair; the eggs are four or five, thickly marked with 
spots of reddish brown on a bluish white ground; if not in- 
terrupted, it raises three broods in the season. Nests with 
young have been found as early as the twenty-sixth of April, 
and as late as the twelfth of August. What is singular, 
the same bird often fixes its nest in a cedar tree, five or 
six feet from the ground. 
14. Swamp Blackbird. 
About the twentieth of March, or earlier if the season 
be open, they appear in the middle states, in numerous 
though small parties, and frequent the low borders of 
creeks, swamps, and ponds, till about the middle of 
April, when they separate in pairs to breed; and about 
the last week in April, or first in May, begin to con- 
struct their nest. The place chosen for this is -gene- 
rally within the precincts of a marsh or swamp, meadow, 
or other like watery situation. The spot usually a thicket 
of alder bushes, at the height of six or seven feet from the 
ground; sometimes in a detached bush in a meadow of 
high grass; often in a tussock of rushes of coarse rank 
grass; and not unfrequently in the ground. In all of which 
situations they are found. When in a bush they are gene- 
rally composed outwardly of wet rushes picked from the 
swamp, and long tough grass in large quantity, and well 
lined with very fine bent. The rushes, forming the exterior, 
are generally extended to several of the adjoining twigs, 
round which they are repeatedly and securely twisted: a 
precaution absolutely necessary for its preservation on ac- 
count of the flexible nature of the bushes in which it is 
placed. The same caution is observed when a tussock is cho- 
sen, by fastening the tops together, and intertwining the ma- 
