WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 271 



species of thrasher found in California are a little puz- 

 zling. Of them all, the Californian Thrasher is the most 

 widely distributed and best known. In form, habit, and 

 song he is very like the Eastern bird, except that his 

 tones have a metallic quality entirely lacking in that of 

 the brown thrasher. 



The young Thrashers leave the nest when twelve to 

 fourteen days old, but are fed by the adults for some 

 time after. I have found the male caring for a fully 

 fledged brood, while his mate was sitting on a nestful 

 of eggs ; and after this second series were hatched, he at 

 once began to feed them as faithfully as he had fed the 

 first. Even with all this, he one day managed to sing a 

 very short, low monologue which had in it the sugges- 

 tion of all his old-time ardor. 



Both sexes assist in the construction of the bulky 

 nest, and both brood on the eggs. In fourteen days the 

 naked pink young emerge from the shells and are fed 

 by regurgitation for four days, or until their eyes open. 

 By regurgitation, in such cases, I mean that the food is 

 swallowed by the adults first, though it may or may 

 not be partially digested by them. I believe it is not 

 digested, but is swallowed for the purpose of softening 

 and moistening it. After the fourth or fifth day, how- 

 ever, large insects are given to the young, having been 

 first carefully denuded of wings, legs, etc. Young 

 Thrashers, while less voracious than young robins, yet 

 require their meals at short intervals, and long after they 

 are out of the nest the overgrown fledglings follow the 

 adults about begging for food. But they soon learn to 



