CAT BIRD. 
241 
to all classes of people, as his favourite briers, or blackberry 
bushes. In spring or summer, on approaching thickets of 
brambles, the first salutation you receive is from the Cat Bird ; 
and a stranger, unacquainted with its note, would instantly 
conclude that some vagrant orphan kitten had got bewildered 
among the briers, and wanted assistance ; so exactly does the 
call of the bird resemble the voice of that animal. Unsus- 
picious, and extremely familiar, he seems less apprehensive of 
man than almost any other of our summer visitants ; for 
whether in the woods, or in the garden, where he frequently 
builds his nest, he seldom allows you to pass without approach- 
ing to pay his respects, in his usual way. This humble 
familiarity and deference, from a stranger, too, who comes to 
rear his young, and spend the summer with us, ought to 
entitle him to a full share of our hospitality. Sorry I am, 
however, to say, that this, in too many instances, is cruelly 
the reverse. Of this I will speak more particularly in the 
sequel. 
About the 28th of February, the Cat Bird first arrives in 
the lower parts of Georgia from the south, consequently winters 
not far distant, probably in Florida. On the second week in 
April, he usually reaches this part of Pennsylvania ; and about 
the beginning of May, has already succeeded in building his 
nest. The place chosen for this purpose is generally a thicket 
of briers or brambles, a thorn bush, thick vine, or the fork of 
a small sapling ; no great solicitude is shewn for concealment, 
though few birds appear more interested for the safety of 
their nest and young. The materials are dry leaves and 
weeds, small twigs, and fine dry grass ; the inside is lined 
with the fine black fibrous roots of some plant. The female 
lays four, sometimes five eggs, of a uniform greenish blue 
colour, without any spots. They generally raise two, and 
sometimes three broods in a season. 
In passing through the woods in summer, I have sometimes 
amused myself with imitating the violent chirping or squeaking 
of young birds, in order to observe what different species 
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