i ated 
En: 
nong the wild fruits, elderberries (Sambucus cana- 
Fig. 14. — Catbird nest (not in situ) 
with eggs, slightly smaller than life size. The eggs, usually 3 or 4, are solid colored, rich blue- 
used, especially raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. 
nsis) were particularly favored in September but we Kinney (1868) called the catbird “the most worthless 
ve seen catbirds feeding heavily on black cherries bird .. . ;. eats most kinds of fruit and mutilates more 
runus serotina) also, and, in baiting birds to photo- than it eats, especially grapes.” 
iph (Fig. 11), we found that catbirds showed a pref- Recently in northeastern Illinois Young (1968) ob- 
nee for pokeweed fruit (Phytolacca americana) served catbirds preying on newly emerged adult dragon- 
n over elderberries. Cultivated fruits were also much flies (Odonata). These insects seemed to be an important 
TABLE 6, — Fledging success of catbirds* (computed by exposure-day method, Mayfield 1961). 
May-June July-August 
-egion Year Number Percent Fledged Number Percent Fledged 
Nests Eggs Nests Eggs Nests Eggs Nests Eggs 
thwest 1968 33 114 40 36 1S 40 69 69 
‘tral 1969 10 35 49 49 (>) (>) (>) (>) 
theast 1967 (>) (>) (>) (>) 21 58 34 34 
® Based on all act 
> No data. 
ive nests including those that failed during nest building and laying. 
21 
