CAT BIRD. 
105 
genus we have. His bill, lejfs and feet, 
nis ■’ l*’*'*^. building, the colour of the eggs, 
jii,jji|.*'^'*-^Ove notes, food, and general manners, all 
.pi y me in removing him to this genus, 
and ^ those unfortunate victims, 
igu^ |“'‘eed the priueijial, against which credulity and 
of {c ^>avc so often directed the fascinating quality 
liave*i seake. A multitude of marvellous stories 
the n **'^®*‘ l»eople who have themselves seen 
eat birds drawn, or sucked, as they sometimes 
the ''t’P'’ (which, by the bye, 
**010) ''arcly visits,) one by one, into the yawning 
Vvjjj ’* the immovable snake. It has so happened 
hnve that, in all the adventures of this kind that I 
thg®, P®>;sonally witnessed, the cat bird was actually 
r^.ji /^®*ailant, and always the successful one. These 
li^^^'^aters never take place but during the breeding 
a n- '^k-ds ; for wliose eggs and young the snake has 
(ip* *''ticular partiality. It is no wonder that those 
**auii'n ’ nests are usually built near the ground, 
for ti '■’** greatest suffer ers, and the most solicitous 
ip^ilj safety : hence the cause w'hy the cat bird 
Ojjjj, such a distinguished figure in most of these 
strii^® *®us Diu-rations. That a poisonous snake will 
e ti jjiid allow it to remain till 
ubsi! f ®^piriug before he begins to devour it, our 
'[‘*'*'‘uus oil the living' rattlesnake, at present [ 1811 ,] 
^^Uiie Poale, satisfy us is a fact ; but that the 
**uake, with eyes, breath, or any other known 
bird* ^ possesses, sliould be capable of drawing a 
absr’ *!®*'‘®tuutly, from the tree tops to its mouth, is an 
p Uity too great for me to swallow, 
reepj*****, fo those observations by a note which 1 
Iiai.. fkis morning from my worthy friend Mr 
ebsftr*!**’,* “Yesterday,” says this gentleman, “ I 
u conflict, or contest, between a cat bird and 
*■ If took place in a gravel walk, in the garden, 
the r* 1 ^ stone, I was within a few yards of 
utnbatants. The bird pounced or diwted upon the 
