Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines 



and in almost any thicket. When the nest is threatened, the 

 owners call together all the other catbirds in that particular 

 thicket, and each one tries to outdo the other in vocal remon- 

 strance. 



Knowing them to be highly intelligent, I decided to rear one, 

 thinking, of course, that he would make a delightful pet, but I 

 never succeeded in determining whether the bird was extremely 

 clever or entirely lacking in sense of any sort. His behaviour 

 from the very beginning was a cause of surprise ; not a sound 

 did he utter, even when hungry, and that was most unusual, as 

 young birds are not renowned for their quietness. Then he was 

 very late in learning to feed himself, far later than any of my 

 other birds. But his most peculiar conduct was when he was 

 taken out of his cage to fly about in the large wire enclosure; 

 instead of taking advantage of this freedom, he instantly flew to 

 the topmost part, and there sat by the hour immovable, looking 

 much like an awkwardly mounted bird. During the two months 

 I had him there was no change in his behaviour, and seeing noth- 

 ing to be gained by keeping so uninteresting a pet, 1 set him 

 free ; immediately his whole manner changed, and he resembled 

 a real live catbird. With tail erect in proper catbird fashion, he 

 commenced searching for insects, which previously he had never 

 even noticed, so I decided after all that he was exceeding clever. 



The breeding season commences about the middle of May, 

 and two broods are frequently reared. 



705. Brown Thrasher: Harporhynchus rufus (Linn.) 



Eggs usually greenish with numerous small light brown 

 spots. 



See Page 50, Chapter I. 



75 1. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Polioptila caerulea (Linn.) 



Eggs white tinged with green or blue and spotted with 

 various shades of brown. 



See Page 174, Chapter IX. 

 168 



