CAT-BIRD. 
335 
his protection, is treated with undeserved obloquy and 
contempt. The flight of the Cat-bird is laborious, and usu- 
ally continued only from bush to bush ; his progress, how- 
ever, is very wily, and his attitudes and jerks amusingly 
capricious. He appears to have very little fear of ene- 
mies, often descends to the ground in quest of insects, 
and though almost familiar, is very quick in his retreat 
from real danger. 
This common and abundant species begins to con- 
struct its nest some time in the month of May. The 
situation, in which he delights to dwell, is commonly 
a dark thicket, in the woods, or close bush in some re- 
cluse part of the garden, at the distance of 5 to 10 feet 
from the ground, according to the convenience of the 
situation. The materials are coarse but substantial ; 
the external part is commonly made of small interlaced 
twigs, old grass, and dry leaves ; to these succeed thin 
strips of bark, often of the red cedar, somewhat aggluti- 
nated. The inside is lined and bedded with black root- 
fibres of ferns ; other accidental materials sometimes 
make a fantastic part of the fabric. One has been known 
to carry away an edging of lace which was missed, and 
at length again recovered after the rearing of the brood, 
whose dainty bed it assisted to form. I have frequently 
found in the external coat of the nest, the cast off skins 
of snakes , more rarely bits of newspapers, wood shavings, 
strings, and bass-mat strips. The eggs are 4 or 5, of a 
bright and deep emerald green, and without spots. Ac- 
cording to the time of their arrival they raise two or even 
three broods in the season. The Cat-bird is not easily 
induced to forsake its nest, Wilson removed one con- 
taining 4 eggs, nearly hatched, from a grape-vine into a 
thicket of briars close by, which was soon occupied by 
the female, as if nothing had happened to it. Other 
