The males, who sing, have more white on the wings and tail than the females, who are songless.
Under parts whitish.
Sings his own true song, a rapid, sweet melody, heard best after twilight; but has many comic songs of whatever nonsense comes into his head.
A Citizen of the southern United States, often straying northward to New England.
A Ground Gleaner, Tree Trapper, and Seed Sower.
THE CATBIRD When the Doctor said "Catbird" the children began to imitate the various calls this famous garden bird utters, for by this time they were familiar with all his tricks and manners.

Some of the imitations were very good indeed, if not musical.

"Miou! Zeay! Zeay!" "That is all very well in its way," said the Doctor, "but which one of you can imitate his song ?" "I've often tried," said Rap, "but somehow he always gets ahead of me, and I lose the place." "Listen! There is one singing now in the grape arbor, and he has a nest somewhere in the syringa bushes," said Olive.
The Catbird was not alarmed when he saw that five pairs of eyes were turned upon him.

He seemed to know that the secret of his nest was in safe keeping, flew out to the pointed top of a clothes-pole, and continued his song, jerking his tail up and down and showing the rusty feathers beneath, as if this motion had something to do with the force of his music.

"I can hear the words as plain as anything," said Nat; "if I only understood his language!" "That is the difficulty," said the Doctor; "if some kind bird would write a dictionary for us we should soon learn a great many strange things." "Roger, the gardener, says that Catbirds are bad things and if he had his way he would shoot them.