Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-15
The 9ree Rress.
NOTES ON THE FAUNA OF vER-
MONy-yIlI,

mONE-VI1I.
Written for the Free Presj by F.ancis H. Her-
r.cb.l
Our knowledge of the thrush-family would
be Incomplete without slight acquaintance
at least with the cat-bird and the 'thrashei'
or Brown mocker. as he is sometimes called.
The Cat.bird Minus Caroiiniensis,
Gray.
This parodst occupies 4 conspicuous
place in the rural life of New Eng
land. Few of the feathered tribe are
better known or more active in destroying
injurious insects, yet the sombrc minstrel
seems to have excited decided feeling of
aversion in the minds of many. The cause
OF lhis unpopulariy is perhaps due to his
affected and banterng ways, and to that
dsagreeable feline voice of his, than to any
thing he actually does.
The cat-bird seems to come forth from the
alders with lay prepared for your especial
benefit. Indeed, it appears an artificial
recitation rather than the spontaneous out
pouring of joyous soul. You detect GER
and rdiculc This perhaps explains why
the hand of every boy is against him. They
notice this irony at once and never lose an
opportunity to let drive stone at every one
that crosses the road.
But in the notes of this .ftlgor, as he has
been called, there is great vgor and melody
NJ well a. variety and how admirable is the
II aternal instinct displayed in the ci,-bird
Her four bluish-green eggs, housed in theil
rude, loose structure of twigs and roots, arc
defended with the IN st jealous care from al
marauders.
The cat-hirl was seen in this vicinity or
the 12th of May, and u pair had completes
the construction of nest by the oath. inns
was placed in II low thicket. They com
monty breed in such places, in the ncighbor
hooi of towns and dwellings along th'
edges of woods. and in bushy swamps.
A bird of similar habits, but of better repu
tation is the
Brown Thrush (IIarporhynchusi iu
fus, cob.
Where the encroachng bush and shrub
berry nearly arch the way or the country
road, large brown bird darts out a
the teams rattle past. Observe his fox
colored snit and lighter breast well sreaket
with the same and long, slender tail, whicl
seems insufficient ballast as he perches OF
yCndtr fence-board
This is die "'Thrasher.' Upon the bush,
hillside he has his home, made of twigs ant
roots and sheltcring his greensh, tincl,
speckled eggs, and there you may hear thi
welcome tenant in the carly morning sautinl
the day, or Offering his love song at even
ing.
Though accused of pulling corn, he Is al
undOubted friend 10 agriculture. Accordiu!
10 Thorcau, he says to the farmer planting II
an adjoining field "Drop ii, drop IL, core
ii mp, c0cer IL up."
The GOnt-Suckers.
OF the Goat-suckcr family or Calrimul
gi,tae, we have but two representatives
the Nght-hawk or Bull-bat, and the Whip
poorwlll They are II ilat-headed, large
moulhed. short.lcgged race, Of soft owl lik
plumagc, with considerable stretch an
power Uf wing, and nocturnal aud solitar
In their habits.
In Europe we find them represented by III
common Goat sucker, or Night-jar. Fir oil
ancient times they have been absurdly be
lieycd 10 Lave the practice of milking goat
(assthcr name Implies, possibly from til
fact that several species invariably selet
rocky pasture lands for their bicediD
haunts
The Nis"'-h"wk i 81. rope'"'
In the carly evening the Nght-huw
attracts attention, by his wild, precip!tat
flight as he darts through the air for his it
sect prey, utterng his Squcahing note, and b
that sN-r.r-ring sound, caused by the a
passing through the wng-quills as he swooT
down 10 the earth from great height above
When he sometimes nearly grazes your hoa
in these evolutions, you half suspect Inn {
little bravado or show of daring
AS far as | have observed, where IL
Whppoorwll is found to be at all abunt
ant, the Night hawk is generally scarce, an
gice C0Sd, but the latter is by far the con
moner species. They nest in out of the wa
pastures, though frequently near by IL
farm, laying their two elliptical marblet
grey eggs upon the bare surface of the roc
or in II slight hollow scratched in the grount
Samuels mentions rocky locality in IL
northern district Of Maine where biz
could be flushed from her eggs in the spaC
of every four or five rods.
The Night-hawks generally sit lcug,hwis
or along the limb or log where they aligl
and not across it like other birds, peculia
ity which other members of the famil
share us well. Yet have seen the whiI
poorwil perch in the ordinary manner G
small twigs, as is the case with the latte
the males also have terminal white pate
upon the tail, and as they fly low the viii
marx on the wings is u noticeable feature.
AT the close of summer, the Night-hawl
hfir IN Hgrly
leaving their breeding haunls, turu the
fucrs TO The South