The Catbird of the West. | 



I I 



• I invite a close inspection of tliis bird as he j 

 seems to be a much difierent fellow from the i 

 [ noisy bird of the East. I have never found it ^ 



at this elevation (8513 feet) but in the Missouri I 

 Elver region I had ample opportunity to 

 study the bird. 



At Fort Laramie, Wyoming, it is perhaps 

 the most abundant, but if you do not look for 

 him he will not be seen; frequenting the dense 

 undergrowth along the streams and building 

 its nest in the darkest and most secluded places, 

 it silently leaves its nest and is seen no more 

 until the intruder is well out of the way. No 

 noisy, cat-like cry is heard at any time, it is 

 only at sunrise and sunset that he is heard 

 singing a song that is surpassed by none of 

 the thrushes except the mockingbird. In fact, | 

 he is a fine mimic himself and unless you can 

 see and catch your bird you will think the 

 thicket is full of song birds. The different 

 notes follow so closely that you cannot dis- 

 tinguish where one begins or the other leaves 

 off, and it is diffcult to make up your mind but 

 that several birds are singing at once. 



When the nest is robbed the bird makes the 

 best of his lot; not a grumble is heard, but 

 stifling his silent grief he seeks a still more 

 secluded spot and again builds, and this time 

 his nest is safe, for it will be placed in the 

 midst of bushes where perhaps the nest may be 

 in full sight. No man will care to try and ' 

 reach it, unless he wishes to lose his clothes 

 and several pounds of skin and flesh. Bui- f 

 berry bushes have long sharp thorns, and in j 

 ; the midst of these is generally the second nest. S 



j. The birds seem to be on intimate terms with t 

 i the Shrike, as I have seen them breeding in the | 

 same bush, but each seemed to hold undisputed | 

 possession of his particular side of the bush. f. 

 Perhaps the Shrike is fond of music and lets J 

 I the Catbird build near him that his uuite may 

 j enjoy the evening concert. At any rate, the 

 { last named is not much of a warbler during 

 the breeding season, although he can sing 

 beautifully and does in the cold winter even- 

 ings, and strange to say when he is all alone, 

 with snow, ice and leafless trees to set off his 

 song. Perhaps this is what makes it so beau- 



0.& O. XII. Jun.1887 p. 9 S , 



