160 CAT BIRD. 
his garden, under his eye, the music of his song, and the intere:. ng ; 
playfulness of his manners, will always be more than a recomp ase ; 
for all the little stolen morsels he snatches. ; | : 
The Cat Bird measures nine inches in length; at a smal] dist tce ‘: 
he appears nearly black; but, on a closer examination, is of a sep oF 
slate color above, lightest on the edges of the nile, nd of a 
considerably lighter slate color below, except the under tal -coverts, 
which are very dark red; the tail, which is rounded, and upper pa¢t of 
the head, as well as the legs and bill, are black, The female differs 
little in color from the male. Latham takes notice of a bird, exactly 
resembling this, being found at Kamtschatka, only it wanted the red « 
under the tail. Probably it might have been a young bird, in which 
the red is scarcely observable. . 
This bird has been very improperly classed among the Flycatchers. i 
As he never seizes his prey on wing, has none of their manners, feeds _ : 
principally on fruit, and seems to differ so little from the Thrushes/ I . 
think he more properly belongs to the latter tribe, than-to any ther : 
genus we have. His bill, legs, and feet, place and mode of buii ing, 
the color of the eggs, his imitative notes, food, and general man iers, 7 
all justify me in removing him to this genus. * 
The Cat Bird is one of those unfortunate victims, and indeed the 
principal, against which credulity and ignorance have so often 
directed the fascinating quality of the black snake. A multitude of \ 
marvellous stories have been told me by people who have themis>!vea x 
seen the poor Cat Birds drawn, or sucked, as they sometimes express Pah 
it, from the tops of the trees, (which, by the by, the Cat Bird rarely a 
visits,) one by one into the yawning mouth of the immovable snake. 5 
It has so happened with me that, in all the adventures of this kind 
that I have personally witnessed, the Cat Bird was actually the 
assailant, and always the successful one. These rencounters never 
take place but during the breeding time of birds ; for whose eggs and 
young the snake has a particular partiality. It is no wonder that 
those species, whose nests are usually built near the ground, should 
before he begins to devour it, our observations on the living rattle- 
snake, at present [1811] kept by Mr. Peale, satisfy us is a fact; but 
that the same snake, with eyes, breath, or any other known quality he 
possesses, should be capable of drawing a bird, reluctantly, from 
the tree tops to its mouth, is an absurdity too great for me to swallow. 
I am led to these observations by a note which I receiw ' thi | 
morning from my worthy friend Mr. Bartram: “ Yesterday,” says j 
this gentleman, “I observed a conflict, or contest, between a C., Bird 
andasnake. It took place in a gravel walk in the garden, neai a | 
be the greatest sufferers, and the most solicitous for their safety : 1 
hence the cause why the Cat Bird makes such a distinguished figure | 
in most of these marvellous narrations. That a poisonous snake will i 
strike a bird or mouse, and allow it to remain till nearly expiring 1 
i 
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dry wall of stone. I was within a few yards of the combatants. The 
bird pounced or darted upon the snake, snapping his bill; the snike ; 
would then draw himself quickly into a coil, ready for blow; but i 
the bird would cautiously circumvent him at a little distance, now and | | 
then running up to, and snapping at him; but keeping at a sufficient, 
distance to avoid a blow. After some minutes, it became a rinning | 
