FLYCATCHER. 249 



151.— CAT FLYCATCHER. 



Muscicapa Cavolinensis, Lid. Orn. ii. 483. Lin. i. 328. Gm. Lin. i. 946. 



Virginiana fusca, Bris. ii. 365. Id. Svo. i. 260. 



Turd us felivox, Vieill. Am. ii. p. 16. pi. 67. 

 Grive rousse et noiratre, Voy. d'Azara, iii. No. 79. 

 Moucherolle de Virginie, Buf. iv. 562. 



Cat Flycatcher, Gen. Syn. iii. 353. Id. Sup. ii. 218. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 272. Gates. 

 Car. i. pi. 66. Bartr. Trav. 288. 298. 5Aaio's Zool. x. 272. 



LENGTH eight inches. Bill black, with a very slight notch 

 near the tip, and a few hairs at the gape ; nostrils pervious ; irides 

 dark brown; top of the head, including the eyes, and the nape, 

 black ; plumage in general deep lead-colour above, pale ash beneath; 

 edges of the quills dusky grey ; the under tail coverts dirty red, or 

 chestnut ; tail rounded, the two middle feathers four inches long ; 

 the outmost three ; colour black ; the exterior paler on the outer 

 web at the end ; legs brown. 



Inhabits Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and other places of 

 America in Summer, breeding in the gardens and groves ; the eggs 

 blue ; has a cry resembling that of a cat; besides which, according 

 to Bartram, it is a general mimic, at times attempting to imitate 

 every bird and animal : and frequently teases the hens, by crying 

 like chickens in distress; will also learn to rehearse songs, as well as 

 repeat melodious airs from instrumental music, even in a state of 

 nature ; besides this, it must be called an eminent songster, and the 

 first bird to be heard at the break of day ; little inferior to the Mock 

 Bird, in respect to its own note, though greatly superior to it in 

 mimicking others. It feeds on fruits, also on creeping insects, but 

 not observed to take them on the wing. 



VOL. VI. K K 



