662 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
quently found in trees and the June and July nests often on the ground. 
The eggs are four to six, dull white, heavily sprinkled with reddish brown 
over the entire surface, and average 1.06 by .78 inches. The parents 
defend the nest with much spirit and often beat off any less dangerous 
foe than man. 
The song of the Thrasher is difficult of description, but is one of our 
most remarkable bird performances. Nehrling says “I regard the Thrasher 
‘as the finest of our American songsters. It would take the palm even 
from the Hermit and the Mockingbird if only its period of singing were 
longer. It is unfortunately a prominent singer for a few weeks only; 
later in the season its voice is rarely heard. The lay is rich in quality, being 
full of feeling—at first soft, whispering, delicately plaintive, then loud, 
powerful and sonorous, wonderful in the variety of its notes and the manner 
in which the strophes melt into one another. It flows along like a clear, 
powerful stream, occasionally sinking into soft complaint as of longing, 
then changing suddenly and becoming louder, fuller, livelier, until the 
air fairly resounds with the bird’s exultant joy. It consists entirely of 
original notes, those of other birds never entering into the composition. 
* * € Besides the song one often hears a melodious call-note like 
‘Yeu’ or ‘Tshee-uh,’ and also a sharp smacking or hissing ‘Tshat,’ especi- 
ally when the nest is approached” (Our Native Birds, Vol. I, 1893, 60-61). 
The Thrasher prefers a very different territory from that selected by 
the Catbird, for it is most often found on dry land, in sandy or gravelly 
regions, especially along the margins of woods, and much less often in 
swamps or about the borders of ponds and streams. It is a common bird 
of the barren jack-pine plains and is often found in the thickets and shrubs 
of the sand-dunes along the lake shores. Nevertheless, it is a common 
bird on most farms, and is perhaps as often seen while driving along country 
roads as the really much more common Catbird. In singing it almost 
pat selects a prominent perch, most often the top of a high bush or a 
ow tree. 
It begins its southward journey in September, but many individuals 
linger until the first or even the second week in October, at least in Ingham 
county. 
The food of the Thrasher, like that of the Cathird, has been thoroughly 
investigated, but certainly does not carry so much economic interest. 
Careful study of the diet was made by 8. A. Forbes of Illinois and by 
Sylvester Judd of the U. 8. Department of Agriculture. The former in 
1879 reported as follows on the examination of 28 stomachs, 8 of which 
were taken in April, 4 in May, 9 in June and 7 in July: ‘‘The most re- 
markable fact brought out is that the bird takes a great deal of matter 
from the excrement of other animals, not only scavenger and carrion 
beetles of various kinds, but particles of undigested grain, largely corn. 
In all 36 percent of its food was obtained from these disgusting sources. 
In April it ate, in addition to the elements just mentioned, 6 percent of 
ants, 4 percent of caterpillars, 4 percent of carabide, 5 percent of curculios, 
8 percent of thousandlegs and 15 percent of cetonian beetles (Huphoria 
inda). In May the food was similar, but with larger percentages of 
scavenger beetles and carabids. In June 17 percent of ants, 9 percent of 
grasshoppers, 1 percent boring beetles (Buprestide), 1 percent cater- 
pillars, and 18 percent of strawberries and raspberries. In July ants fell 
to 1 percent, caterpillars increased to 13 percent, carabide remained at 
5 percent, and there was 3 percent of spring beetles and 5 percent of soldier 
