Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-06
STUDIES IN
NATURAL HISTORY
BY JAMES HENRY RICE, Jr.
THE BROWN THRASHER

Family, Turdidae; Species, Rufum.
Toxostona is from the Greek, Toxos,
a bow, and Stoma, a mouth and refers
to the curved bill Rufum is the Latin
neuter, meaning red. Why the, adjec-
tive was employed is explained solely
on the theory that it's author must
have been ignorant of gender.
The Brown Thrasner breeds from
Canada to Texas and Florida. North.
ern birds generally migrate south in
winter. In South Carolina, North Car
olna and Georgia it Is a permanent
resident.
Lives In Thickets and Low Shrubbery
Everywhere common, and rarely
conspicuous, the Brown Thrasher
abides in thickets and low shrubbery,
except when the male is singing to his
mate. Then he mounts to the top Of
the nesting tree, as rule, and pours
forth flood of melody, considered by
observers as ST oerior to. the song of
the ,Mocklngbrd, his cousin. BY pre-
ference thorn tree Is selected as a
nesting place. The back is light cln-
namon-red, beneath a pale :rufous
white, streaked with brown, except; on
clih, throat, middle Of the belly and
under tail-coverts. THE inner surface
Of the wing and the inner edges Of the
primaries are cinnamon. !. the conceal
ed portion Of the Quills otherwise :; IS
dark brown. The medlan: and greater
wing -coverts become 'blackish- brown
toward the end, followed by white; pro-
ducing two conspicuous bands. ,.tThe
e. ,,,,fn Ia nxsfo for-
nal ones obscurely tipped with Whit
ish, the Shafts Of the same color with
the yanes." There are twelve rectrices,
or main tail feathers. The lower man..
dible is straight. the curve being in. the
upper.
Mr.. Arthur T. Wayne; our great field
naturalist, who, If he lived nearer the
centres of population would be world
famous, as he is world known, says:
The Thrasher's. Song.
ITO my ear the song of the Brown
Thrasher is sweeter, richer and Wild
er than the Mockingbird, and as a
musician he is simply Incompatible.
He is at his best during the month OF
April and the early part Of May, and
from the top of, the towering dead pine
he pours forthl his wild song which
thrills the senses"
Davie, who heard the Brown Thrash
er first in 1875, on the Scioto river, IN
Ohio, says:
."He sat on a bough, with his brown
and speckled plumage ruffled, his
wings and tail dropping but his mead
turned heavenward; and, as his throat
swelled, and with artless harmony OF
this great musicians song echoed ana
re- echoed through the woodland He
was a rustic musician, and eXtraVa3
CANT with his powers. At first 1
thought his notes were the rustllng
of leaves, until he burst forth with the
lively chatter Of the House Wren;
then came the soft, plaintive notes OF
the Blucbird, followed by the loud ker-
ker-ker Of the Redheaded' Woodpeck.-
erJ and the hurried clucking Of the
wing. again and again he re-
heated the mellow piping OF the Kill
deer Plover, which it, utters as 1t set
ties down on a pebbly shore. Some
times his voice would die away into
liuuid tone, like the murmuring OF a
fountain, Mhen suddenly he would
break forth again into the-loud voice
of the Robin Or the harsh notes or tne
Ktngfisher. The songs Of all the nlrds
of the woods seemed TO-. be :"lthih
range of his vocal powers"
Nest Loosely Made.
The nest is loosely made. and placed
in q thorn-tree. as stated, or in some
thick bush or briars. There are three
10 five eggs. usually five, the color
VARYING from white through pale
70 pale greensl, and, very rarely, quite
a distinct green. The markings are
minute reddish brown specks, sprlnK.
led thickly over the entire surface
forming wreaths near the larger emo,
The black snake and the four r-lned
coluber or chicken snake often deVouf
the Young, and sometimes catch fne
old birds, while these are defending
their offspring. A case in po1nt Is
shown in Audubon's drawing
The Brown Thrasher ,(calied from
thrashing the tail when feedine) is
notable insect destroyer. He takes
some fruits and picks up some corn
and peas from the field; but he saves I"
husilrl to every gill he eats. -.
Many youth, bent on b'rd-ropolhs.
ms been scared away by the orange.
yellow eyes. cleaning In Wratl1' All
in all a bird of. untold value, gilted
with the grace of song to wonderful
extent, he is worth study and protec-
ton.
(Copyright 1921 by Jas. D. GrisD ..