CAT-BIRD. 
II 
pears ; and these are also particular favorites with the farmer. But the 
Cat-bird has frequently the advantage of the farmer by snatching off 
the first-fruits of these delicious productions ; and the farmer takes 
revenge by shooting him down with his gun, as he finds old hats, wind- 
mills and scarecrows are no impediments in Lis way to these forbidden 
fruits ; and nothing but this resource, the 'ultimatum of farmers as well 
as kings, can restrain his visits. The boys are now set to watch the 
cherry trees with the gun ; and thus commences a train of prejudices 
and antipathies that commonly continue through life. Perhaps, too, 
the common note of the Cat-bird, so like the mewing of the animal 
whose name it bears, and who itself sustains no small share of prejudice, 
the homeliness of his plumage, and even his familiarity, so proverbially 
known to beget contempt, may also contribute to this mean, illiberal 
and persecuting prejudice ; but with the generous and the good, the 
lovers of nature and of rural charms, the confidence which this familiar 
bird places in man by building in his garden, under his eye, the music 
of his song, and the interesting playfulness of his manners, will 
always be more than a recompense for all the little stolen morsels he 
snatches. 
The Cat-bird measures nine inches in length ; at a small distance he 
appears nearly black ; but on a closer examination is of a deep slate 
color above, lightest on the edges of the primaries, and of a consider- 
ably lighter slate color below, except the under tail coverts, which are 
very dark red ; the tail, which is rounded, and upper part of the head, 
as well as the legs and bill, are black. The female differs little in color 
from the male. Latham takes notice of a bird exactly resembling this, 
being found at Kamtschatka ; only it wanted the red under the tail : 
probably it might have been a young bird, in which the red is scarcely 
observable. 
This bird has been very improperly classed among the Fly-Catchers. 
As he never seizes his prey on wing, has none of their manners, feeds 
principally on fruit, and seems to differ so little from the Thrushes, I 
think he more properly belongs to the latter tribe than to any other 
genus we have. His bill, legs and feet, place and mode of building, 
the color of the eggs, his imitative notes, food and general manners, all 
justify me in removing him to this genus. 
The Cat-bird is one of those unfortunate victims, and indeed the 
principal, against which credulity and ignorance have so often directed 
the fascinating quality of the blacksnake. A multitude of marvellous 
stories have been told me by people who have themselves seen the poor 
Cat-birds drawn, or sucked, as they sometimes express it, from the tops 
of the trees (which, by-the-bye, the Cat-bird rarely visits) one by one, 
into the yawning mouth of the immovable snake. It has so happened 
with me that in all the adventures of this kind that I have personally 
