make his usual snap at her and retire to safety. Probably lie 

 could not have reached the nest even if his interest had 

 developed. 



One day about this time, when I went into the aviary with 

 the mealworm box, I heard such a bloodcurdling scream close 

 to nn r ear that I nearly dropped the mealworms. It came from 

 the hen thrush ; she was probably warning me not to go too near 

 the nest, and afterwards she greeted me in this fashion every 

 time I opened the aviary door. 



I examined the nest on August 22nd and found it to con- 

 tain one egg: the next day there were two. The nest was lined 

 with fine hay, and both it and the eggs, except for their rather 

 smaller size, were not to be distinguished from the nest and eggs 

 of the Blackbird. 



Of course I had not the least hope that the eggs would be 

 fertile, but it was an interesting experience, and proved that 

 these birds were willing enough to breed in captivity in spite 

 of their being so greatly handicapped. In order to give the hen 

 a little encouragement I allowed her to sit until September 6th, 

 when I added the eggs — there were still only two — to my col- 

 lection, and substituted two blown Blackbird's eggs. These 

 proved too light, however, one being found 011 the floor broken 

 the next morning. On entering the aviary the hen attacked me, 

 evidently thinking that I had been tampering with the nest. 

 She looked at the remaining egg a long time before she settled 

 down on it, and the day after the nest was empty. 



Late in September the hen was carrying hay about, and 

 appeared to be desirous of building another nest, but both she 

 and the cock commenced to moult early in October. The hen 

 completed her moult at the end of that month, the cock nearly 

 at the end of the next. He commenced to sing again as soon as 

 the moult was finished. 



I was looking forward to rearing young ones from them 

 during 1908, but, unfortunately, as I was catching some birds 

 which I wished to dispose of out of the aviary, I stepped heavily 

 upon the hen, and so severely injured her internally that she died 

 in a few minutes. 



[Mr. Scggitt has kindly sent the body to me, and the unfortunate accident which 



