102 
TURDUS LIVIDUS. 
behave. In a mintite or two, the male made his aP' 
preaches, stooped down, and looked earnestly at tl>® 
strange eggs, then flew off to his mate, w'ho was not h*^ 
distant, with whom he seemed to have some convers*' 
tioii, and instantly returning, w ith the greatest gently 
ness took out both the thrasher’s eggs, first one aB“ 
then the other, carried them singly about thirty yard*’ 
and dropt them among the hushes. I then rcturin'" 
the two eggs I had taken, and, soon after, the fcin“*^‘’ 
resumed her place on the nest as before. , 
From the nest of another cat bird I took two haj* 
fledged young, and placed them in that of another, whi*; ‘ 
was sitting on five eggs. She soon turned them hot*' 
out. The place where the nest was not being far fro*' 
the ground, they were little injured, and the mol®’ 
observing their helpless situation, began to feed the*" 
with great assiduity and teud(!rncss. , 
I removed the nest of a cat bird, which contaim’j 
four eggs, nearly hatched, from a fox grape vine, o"° 
fixed it firnilj' and carefully in a thicket of briers clo*" 
by, without injuring its contents. In less than half"® 
hour I returned, and found it again occupied by fl** 
female. 
The cat bird is one of our earliest morning songstef®' 
beginning generally before break of day, and hoveri"? 
from hush to bush, with great sprightliness, whenthe*^ 
is scarce light suflicient to distinguish him. Ilis not"’ 
are more remarkable for singularity than for mclo*!.^' 
They consist of short imitations of other birds, 
other sounds ; but, his pipe being rather deficient '® 
clearness and strength of tone, his imitations fail wl"’'] 
these are requisite. Yet he is not easily discourag""’ 
hut seems to study certain passages witli great p"*'j*r 
verance ; uttering them at first low, and, as he snccec“” 
higher and more free, nowise embarrassed by the p.*""* 
sence of a spectator even within a few’ yarcls of 1"®® 
On attentively listening for some time to him, one e". 
perceive considerable variety in his performance, 
which he seems to introduce all the odd sounds a" 
quaint passages he has been able to collect. Upon t** 
