BROWN THRASHER. 63 
berry bushes, Cherokee roses, and vines of many species, grow. The ground swarms with 
insects of many kinds, the old leaves cover larvee and snails, and the bushes are rich in 
berries. In these thickets the Brown Thrush leads a very secluded existence, in company 
with the Hermit Thrush, Towhee Buntings, Cardinals, White-crowned and White-throated 
Sparrows, and others. It is here so shy and knows so well how to screen itself from 
view that it is but rarely seen. Here, its call-notes are seldom heard. In the dense 
hammock woods of Florida, it is one of the most abundant winter birds. These woods 
usually consist of large deciduous and evegreen trees, with an undergrowth of low saw- 
palmettos, sparkleberry bushes, hollies, smilax, Carolina jasmine, and a host of other 
tropical species. 
The flight of the Thrasher is low, and rather heavy, on account of the shortness 
of its wings. It usually flits from bush to bush, all the time opening and shutting its 
long tail. It is remarkable that a bird of such heavy flight should have reached Europe. 
Gatke obtained a specimen on the island of Heligoland during the fall of 1838. 
The bird is perfectly at home on the ground, where its strong feet enable it to 
move with great dexterity. It hops about rapidly, often jerking its tail, Among the 
old leaves it scratches like a hen. As it spends most of the time on the ground in pur- 
suit of insects, it is less of a berry eater than the other species so far described, and 
does no harm in gardens, rarely taking a cherry or grape, and limits its fruit diet during 
the winter, when insects are scarce, to such berries as grow near, or on, the ground. 
I need not call attention to the faé&t that the Brown Thrush is one of our most useful 
birds. Both, its beautiful song and its usefulness should gain for it-the protection which 
it deserves. 
The Thrasher ranges from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, where it is found 
even at an altitude of 7,500 feet. It is said to range northward to the 54th degree of 
latitude, as far as the Red River of the North and Lake Winnipeg. Dr. Coues found it 
breeding near Pembina, on the northern border of our country. It does not seem to be 
common in the northern portion of its range, for I have found it very rare even in northern 
Wisconsin, and it has nowhere been observed to be abundant in northern New England. 
According to Audubon, it breeds in Louisiana, but, I think, only in the northern part 
of that State, for I have never seen it in southern Louisiana or in southeastern Texas 
during the breeding season. It is not everywhere equally common, for in one place it will 
be found in great numbers, while in another it is almost unknown. It does not range 
further south, during the winter, than Texas and Florida, but is replaced along the 
Rio Grande and in the far West and Southwest by several closely related species. 
The Brown Thrush is a good cage-bird, although little appreciated as such. Caged 
adult males usually remain shy, suspicious, emitting their beautiful woodland-song only 
when treated kindly and tenderly. Young males reared from the nest become not only 
very tame and docile, but also fine singers. I quote the following from a letter of an 
enthusiastic bird-lover, Consul General Emil Dreier, of Chicago: “I have reared many 
Brown Thrushes from the nest, and almost all of them have become excellent singers. 
Some poured forth their melodies with as much emphasis as the Mockingbird, and, in my 
opinion, more beautifully.” So tame do young thus reared from the nest become, that 
they may be taught to fly in and out of the cage. 
