CAT BIRD. 
245 
life. Perhaps, too, the common note of the Cat Bird, so like 
the mewing of the animal whose name it bears, and who 
i tself 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 interes- 
ting 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 colour above, lightest on the edges of the 
primaries, and of a considerably lighter slate colour 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 colour 
from the male. Latham takes notice of a bird, exactly resem- 
bling 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 colour 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 black snake. 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 
