DESCRIPTION OF THE CATBIRD 57 



Terr, for 1872, 1873, 670, 705, 713 (far west).— iJW^. Ball. Essex Inat. v. 1873, 179 (Colo- 

 rado).— Bjdg-. Am. Nat. vii. 1873,201,550; ylii. 1874, 198.— ;i/crr. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 7.— 

 B. B. If R. NAB. i. 1874, 52, fig. pi. 3. f. a.—Hensh. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 40, 56, 71 (Utah, 

 &.e.).—Brem. Pr. Best. Soc. xvii. 1875, 438— ffmsk. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid. 1876, 152. 



Caleoscoptes carolincngis, S. c^ S. PZS. 1859, 370 (Oaxaca). 



FeliTox carolinensls, Bp. CR. 1853. 



Lncar csirolinensis, Ooues Pr. Phila. Acad. 1875, 349 (comment, on Bartram). 



lucar liTtdns, Bartr. Trav. Pla. Amer. ed. 1791, p. 290bi8. 



Tardus liTidus, Wils. AO. ii. 1810, 90, pi. 14, f. 3 (after Bartram).— Bp. 

 Journ.Phila. Acad. iv. 1824, 36 (critical). —icss. Tr. Orn. 1831, 410.— 

 Gaetke, J. f. O. 1856, 71 (Heligoland \).—Haym. Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 

 1856, 289. 



Orphcns liTidus, Bias, ibis, iv. 1862, 66 (Heligoland). 



Turdns feliTOX, Vieill.OXS. ii. 1807, 10, pl.67.— B;). Joum. Phila. Acad. iv. 

 1824, 36.— Bi). Ann. Lye. N.Y. ii. 1826, 75.— Feab. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 

 302.— TAomps. Vermont, 1853, 78, tg.-tyiUis, Smiths. Rep. for 1858, 

 1859, 281 (Nova Scotia). 



Orpheus feiivox, Sw. <£■ Rich. FBA. ii. 1831, 19'2.—Pralteu, Tr. Illinois Agr. 

 Soc. 1855, 601. 



Mlmns rellTOX, Bp.C.&. GL. 1838, 18.— Bp. CA. L 1850, 276.- BitraetJ, Pr. \ 

 Boat. Soc. iv. 1851, 116.— Read, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 39S.— Hoy, 

 Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 309 (Wisconsin).— A'cnatc. Tr. 111. Agr. Soc. 

 i. 1855, 582.— Afaiim. J. f. O. vi. 1858, 180.— flby. Smiths. Rep. for 1864, 

 1865, 437 (Missouri). 



Cat Flycafclier, Penn. AZ. ii. 1785, 388, no. 272. 



Merle h derriere roux, D'Orb. 1. c. 



Zorzal gato, CaJaa. FIG.7.— Foot of 



Merle Catllird; Chat, Le Maine, Ois. Canad. 1861, 167. Catbird, nat. size. 



Catbird, Vulg. 



Hab. — Nearly all tlie United States, and adjoining British Provinces. North 

 to the Red and Saskatchewan Rivers (latitude 54°). West to Washington, 

 Oregon, Wyoming, and Utah. South in winter to Panama. Mexico. Cuba. 

 Resident in the Southern States. Breeds throughout its range in North 

 America. 



Ch. sp. S 9 Schistaceo-plumbeus, subttis dilutior ; verUce,caudd^ 

 rostro pedibusque nigris, alts nigricantibus, crisso castaneo. 



$ 5: Slaty-gray, paler and more grayish-plumbeousbelow ; crown of head, 

 tail, bill aad feet black. Quills of the wing blackish, edged with the 

 body-color. Under tail-coverts rich dark chestnut or mahogany-color. 

 Length, 8^-9; extent, 11 or more; wing, 3J-3f; tail,4; bill, f; tarsus, l-lT^i,. 



Young : Of a more sooty color above, with little or no distinction of a 

 black cap, and comparatively paler below, where the color has a soiled 

 brownish cast. Crissum dull rufous. 



The outer edge and tip of the lateral tail-feather is sometimes decidedly 

 palerthanthe rest, indicating the space occupied by the white in Oroscoptes. 



IT is not easy to account for the vulgar prejudice against this 

 bird. The contempt he inspires cannot be entirely due to 

 familiarity; for other members of the household, like the Eobin, 

 Bluebird, and Swallow, do not come under the ban. If his 

 harsh, abrupt, and discordant note were the cause, the croaking 



