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 trees (which, by the by, the Cat-bird rarely visits) one by one, into the yawning mouth of the immoveable snake. It has so happened with me that in all the adventures of this kind that I have personally witnessed, the Cat-bird was actually the assailant, and always the successful one. These rencontres never take place but during the breeding time of birds; for whose eggs and young the snake has a particular partiality. It is no wonder that those species whose nests are usually built near the ground, should be the greatest sufferers, and the most solicitous for their safety; hence the cause why the Cat-bird makes such a distinguished figure in most of these marvellous narrations. That a poisonous snake will strike a bird or mouse, and allow it to remain till nearly expiring before he begins to devour it, our observations on the living rattle-snake at present kept by Mr. Peale, satisfy us is a fact; but that the same snake, with eyes, breath, or any other known quality he possesses, should be capable of drawing a bird, reluctantly, from the tree tops to its mouth, is an absurdity too great for me to swallow.

I am led to these observations by a note which I received this morning from my worthy friend Mr. Bartram. "Yesterday," says this gentleman, "I observed a conflict, or contest, between a "Cat-bird and a snake. It took place in a gravel walk, in the ❝garden, near a dry wall of stone. I was within a few yards of "the combatants. The bird pounced or darted upon the snake, "snapping his bill; the snake would then draw himself quickly

"into a coil, ready for a blow; but the bird would cautiously "circumvent him at a little distance, now and then running up "to and snapping at him; but keeping at a sufficient distance to "avoid a blow. After some minutes it became a running fight, "the snake retreating; and at last took shelter in the wall. The "Cat-bird had young ones in the bushes near the field of bat❝tle.

"This may show the possibility of poisonous snakes biting "birds, the operation of the poison causing them to become as "it were fascinated,"

ROBIN.

[Plate II.-Fig. 2.]

LINN. Syst. 1, p. 292, 6.-Turdus Canadensis, Briss. 11, p. 225, 9.-La Litorne de Canada, Burr. 111, p. 307.—Grive de Canada, Pl. Enl. 556, 1.—Fieldfare of Carolina, CAT. Car. 1, 29. -Red-breasted Thrush, Arct. Zool. 11, No. 196.—Lath. Syn. 11, p. 26.-BARTRAM, p. 290.-PEALE'S Museum, No. 5278.

THIS well known bird, being familiar to almost every body, will require but a short description. It measures nine inches and a half in length; the bill is strong, an inch long, and of a full yellow, though sometimes black, or dusky near the tip of the upper mandible; the head, back of the neck and tail is black; the back and rump an ash colour; the wings are black edged with light ash; the inner tips of the two exterior tail feathers are white; three small spots of white border the eye; the throat and upper part of the breast is black, the former streaked with white; the whole of the rest of the breast, down as far as the thighs, is of a dark orange; belly and vent white, slightly waved with dusky ash; legs dark brown; claws black and strong. The colours of the female are more of the light ash, less deepened with black; and the orange on the breast is much paler, and more broadly skirted with white. The name of this bird bespeaks him a bird of passage, as are all the different species of Thrushes we have; but the one we are now describing being more unsettled, and continually roving about from one region to another, during fall and winter, seems particularly entitled to the appellation. Scarce a winter passes but innumerable thousands of them are seen in the lower parts of the whole Atlantic

states, from New Hampshire to Carolina, particularly in the neighbourhood of our towns; and from the circumstance of their leaving, during that season, the country to the north-west of the great range of the Alleghany, from Maryland northward, it would appear that they not only migrate from north to south, but from west to east, to avoid the deep snows that generally prevail on these high regions for at last four months in the year.

The Robin builds a large nest, often on an apple tree, plasters it in the inside with mud, and lines it with hay or fine grass. The female lays five eggs of a beautiful sea green. Their principal food is berries, worms and caterpillars. Of the first he prefers those of the sour gum (Nyssa sylvatica). So fond are they of Gum berries, that wherever there is one of these trees covered with fruit, and flocks of Robins in the neighbourhood, the sportsman need only take his stand near it, load, take aim, and fire; one flock succeeding another with little interruption, almost the whole day; by this method prodigious slaughter has been made among them with little fatigue. When berries fail they disperse themselves over the fields, and along the fences, in search of worms and other insects. Sometimes they will disappear for a week or two, and return again in greater numbers than before; at which time the cities pour out their sportsmen by scores, and the markets are plentifully supplied with them at a cheap rate. In January, 1807, two young men, in one excursion after them, shot thirty dozen. In the midst of such devastation, which continued many weeks, and by accounts extended from Massachusetts to Maryland, some humane person took advantage of a circumstance common to these birds in winter, to stop the general slaughter. The fruit called poke-berries (Phytolacca decandra, Linn.) is a favourite repast with the Robin, after they are mellowed by the frost. The juice of the berries is of a beautiful crimson, and they are eaten in such quantities by these birds, that their whole stomachs are strongly tinged with the same red colour. A paragraph appeared in the public papers, intimating, that from the great quantities of these berries which the Robins had fed on, they had become un

*

wholesome, and even dangerous food; and that several persons had suffered by eating of them. The strange appearance of the bowels of the birds seemed to corroborate this account. The demand for, and use of them ceased almost instantly; and motives of self-preservation produced at once what all the pleadings of humanity could not effect. When fat they are in considerable esteem for the table, and probably not inferior to the turdi of the ancients, which they bestowed so much pains on in feeding and fattening. The young birds are frequently and easily raised, bear the confinement of the cage, feed on bread, fruits, &c. sing well, readily learn to imitate parts of tunes, and are very pleasant and cheerful domestics. In these I have always observed that the orange on the breast is of a much deeper tint, often a dark mahogany or chestnut colour, owing no doubt to their food and confinement.

The Robin is one of our earliest songsters; even in March, while snow yet dapples the fields, and flocks of them are dispersed about, some few will mount a post or stake of the fence, and make short and frequent attempts at their song. Early in April, they are only to be seen in pairs, and deliver their notes with great earnestness, from the top of some tree detached from the woods. This song has some resemblance to, and indeed is no bad imitation of the notes of the Thrush or Thrasher (Turdus rufus); but if deficient in point of execution, he possesses more simplicity; and makes up in zeal what he wants in talent; so that the notes of the Robin, in spring, are universally known, and as universally beloved. They are as it were the prelude to the grand general concert, that is about to burst upon us from woods, fields and thickets, whitened with blossoms, and brea

Governor Drayton, in his " View of South Carolina," p. 86, observes, that "the Robins in winter devour the berries of the Bead tree (Melia Azedarach,) in such large quantities, that after eating of them they are observed to fall down, and are readily taken. This is ascribed more to distension from abundant eating than from any deleterious qualities of the plant." The fact, however, is, that they are literally choaked, many of the berries being too large to be swallowed.