OF NEW ENGLAND. 47 
than short flights, since they pass most of their time in shrub- 
bery,—when frightened, generally taking refuge in a thicket, or 
a clump of bushes, so as to be effectually lost to sight. 
Though not habitually bold, they are often brave in resenting 
intrusions on their nests, giving a ‘“‘ warm” reception to cats, 
driving away or killing snakes, and occasionally flying at man. 
Two things are easily observable in the habits of these thrushes, 
namely: When on the ground, they can move about with agil- 
ity, and when perched, they often flirt their tails, or, when 
singing, depress them in a peculiar manner, which renders their 
attitude rather ludicrous. In autumn, before their departure, 
the Cat-birds become rather reserved and shy, and I have 
sometimes been able to detect their presence only by occasion- 
ally hearing their characteristic cry, or seeing them fly into 
“scrub” or other shrubbery, with their broad tails expanded 
to their fullest extent, as they crossed some road or path and 
dove into a thicket beyond. Their habits in the fall of the 
year illustrate the fact, that in spring most birds can easily be 
detected, if even carelessly sought for at the proper season, 
because of their song, their comparatively little shyness, and 
those bright tints, which, in the case of many birds, are 
exchanged for duller tints, when the summer either is over 
or draws near to its end; whereas in autumn, on the other 
hand, many birds quietly, and in silence seldom broken, con- 
tinue to spend their days about us, and to migrate through 
those places where they were conspicuous in spring, escaping 
our observation through their greater shyness and retirement. 
There are two other partial explanations of the actually and 
apparently greater abundance of certain birds, when passing 
to the North through Eastern Massachusetts than when re- 
turning,—which are, that in the autumnal migrations many 
species for the most part choose a more inland route, and 
that in spring, the warblers, for instance, are prompted to 
their long journeys by a sudden outburst or a gradual ap- 
proach of genuine warmth, such as gives life to the insects 
on which they feed; whereas in fall, unless startled by a sud- 
den visitation of cold, they gradually leave their summer- 
