22

1916.

6. Cat bird: Never before have I known so many Catbirds to
breed within sight and sound of our farm house. Three appeared
together in front of it on May 5 [May 5, 1916] and by the end of the month
we had two pairs nesting in the shrubbery behind it, a third in
that near the old poultry yard, a fourth in that just south of
the cow pasture, a fifth at the Ritchie place and at least
two more in the Berry Pasture across the public road.
The birds last mentioned were probably harried by Jays &
apparently reared no young but those nearer the house were
but little disturbed and were feeding young either in or just
out of the nests before the close of June. One nest was
built in a snow-berry bush directly under, & within a yard
of the pantry window. The [male] of this pair had a singularly
unmusical song consisting wholly of disconnected rasping
and stuttering notes very trying to my ears although perhaps
not similarly displeasing to those of his mate. Although
this nest was begun on May 18 [May 18, 1916] the young had not left it
by June 27 [June 27, 1916].
  One of the three birds that arrived on May 5 [May 5, 1916] was
frequently employed during that day and the next in picking
up nesting material and carrying it into the Forsythia
thicket where, however, she dropped at least most of it.
While thus engaged she (for the bird was evidently a [female]) was
closely followed by the other two, both of which looked like
males. They kept fanning out their tails & quivering their
half opened wings, at the same time uttering subdued,
wheezy sounds but no musical notes. Although apparently
rival suitors of the female bird they did not once display
the least animosity towards each other.
  No Cat bird in our neighborhood was heard to
mimic the note of any other species of bird this year.