198 CAT-BIRD. 



other insects. Its flight is low, often rapid, and somewhat protracted, gene- 

 rally performed by glidings, accompanied with sudden jerks of the tail. It 

 moves on the ground with alertness and grace, not unfrequently going before 

 a person the whole length of the garden-walk. 



The nest of the Cat-bird is large, composed externally of dry twigs and 

 briars, mixed with withered leaves, weeds, and grass, and lined with black 

 fibrous roots, neatly arranged in a circular form. The eggs are from four to 

 six, of a plain glossy greenish-blue, without spots. Two and sometimes 

 three broods are raised in the season. 



I have placed a pair of these birds on a branch of the blackberry bush, 

 on the fruit of which they feed. The young attain their full plumage before 

 they depart in autumn. 



Cat-bird, Turdus lividus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. ii. p. 90. 



Turdus felivox, Bonap. Syn., p. 75. 



Orpheus felivox, Cat-bird, Swains & Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 192. 



Cat-eird, Turdus felivox, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 332. 



Cat-bird, Turdus felivox, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. ii. p. 171; vol. v. p. 440. 



Adult Male. 



Bill of moderate length, rather weak, slightly arched, broad at the base, 

 compressed, towards the end acute; upper mandible with the ridge rather 

 acute, the sides convex, the edges sharp, the tip a little declinate; lower 

 mandible nearly straight. Nostrils basal, oblong, half closed above by a 

 membrane, and partially concealed by the feathers. Head of ordinary size, 

 neck rather long, general form slender. Feet of ordinary length, slender; 

 tarsus compressed, anteriorly scutellate, acute behind; toes free, scutellate 

 above, the lateral ones nearly equal; hind toe rather stronger; claws com- 

 pressed, arched, acute. 



Plumage soft and blended. Bristles at the base of the bill. Feathers of 

 the hind head longish. "Wings of ordinary length, broad, rounded, the fifth 

 quill longest, the fourth nearly equal, the first very short. Tail long, 

 rounded, of twelve straight narrowly rounded feathers. 



Bill black. Iris hazel. Feet dark umber. The general colour of the 

 plumage above is blackish-grey, the head and tail brownish-black, as are the 

 inner webs of the quills. The cheeks, and under surface in general, deep 

 bluish-grey, the abdomen paler, and the under tail-coverts brownish-red. 

 The outer tail-feather transversely barred with white on the inner web. 



Length 9 inches, extent of wings 12; bill along the ridge -ff, along the 

 edge y|; tarsus 1^. 



Adult Female. 



