218 



FAMILY MIMID^l. MOCKERS AND THRASHERS. 



The imitative faculty of the Mockingbird that has given the family 

 its name is well developed in Canadian representatives. The family is 

 peculiarly American and like many of the subdivisions of the order Passeres 

 is difficult to diagnose in non-technical language. The birds are rather 

 large. The Catbird and Mockingbird are of even shades of stone-grey 

 and the Thrasher bright rufous brown above with heavily spotted whitish 

 or creamy underparts and an unusually long full tail. They are all good 

 mockers and diversify their song with imitations of all the common sounds 

 around them, including the songs of other birds, and are capable of effects 

 that are rarely equalled by the most famous songsters of either the New 

 or Old World. Any one of these species is a sufficient and crushing answer 

 to the charge that there are no song birds in America. 



Genus — Mimus. Mockingbird. 



703. Mockingbird, fb. — la ghive polyglotte. l'oiseatt moqueur. Mimus 

 polyglottos. L, 10-50. A large Catbird in appearance without black cap or red under 

 the tail; almost white below and with large amounts of white in wing and tail. 



Distinctions. The above characters will separate the Mockingbird from the Catbird. 

 It closely resembles the Shrikes in coloration but is without the conspicuous black patch 

 across the eyes. 



Field Marks. General greyness and white patches on wing and tail with absence of 

 black face mask. 



Nesting. In thickets of coarse twigs and weed stalks in nests lined with rootlets and 

 shreds of cotton. 



Distribution. Southern United States north into Canada at the western end of lake 

 Erie. This is the only locality where the species has obtained what approaches an 

 established foothold in Canada. A few pairs have been known to summer there for the 

 last decade. 



SUBSPECIES. The Mockingbird is divided into southeastern and southwestern 

 forms — the former, the common Mockingbird, the type race of the species, being the 

 only subspecies to be expected in Canada. 



The species is rare in Canada. It is very similar to the Catbird and 

 most of what is said of that species applies with even greater force to the 

 Mockingbird, for it is in many ways a glorified Catbird and is probably 

 the finest native singer in America. 



Genus — Dumetella. Catbird. 



704. Catbird, fr. — la ghive de la Caroline, le merle chat. Dumetella caro- 

 linensis. L, 8-94. Plate XLIV B. (Figure 62, p. 28). 



Distinctions. This evenly grey bird can be confused only with the Mockingbird 

 and the black cap, red undertail-coverts, and lack of white on wing, tail, or below are 

 distinctive. 



Field Marks. Even grey colour; black cap and call-notes, especially the cat-like 

 "Meouw" from which the bird derives its name. 



Nesting. In thickets or densely foliaged shrubs in nest of twigs, grasses, and leaves , 

 lined with rootlets. 



Distribution. Eastern North America; in Canada including most of the more densely 

 settled sections. 



Though inferior to the Mockingbird the Catbird at its best takes a 

 high position as a songster, though there is much individual variation in 

 the excellence of its efforts. Its usual call-note like a cat's mew, which it 



