THE THRUSHES. 69 



self, and a few pice to the sweeper ought to produce suffi- 

 cient insects for the bird's daily requirements, without 

 having recourse to the daily ration of horrible wrigglers. 

 Insects of some sort or other the Shama must have, 

 however ; if they run short, small pellets of raw lean meat, 

 previously mixed and washed, should be given. The 

 satoo should, of course, be made up with ghee or hard 

 boiled Q^g, or both. 



The Shama is regularly taken to England, and may 

 be obtained from the larger bird-dealers there ; but it 

 is alwaj^s an expensive bird, and likely to remain so, as 

 such quarrelsome creatures cannot be taken over in 

 numbers, to say nothing of the trouble inseparable from 

 feeding insectivorous birds. Such amateurs, however, 

 as have kept the Shama are enthusiastic in their admira- 

 tion for it, and, as it will live well at home if kept com- 

 fortable in winter, it is always worth while to take a pet 

 bird with one. If the expense of freight and gratuity be 

 objected to, two or three birds can be packed in one cage 

 with compartments, and the sale of the extra specimens 

 should cover all these expenses of their transport. Hen 

 Shamas are always hard to get in England, as they are 

 seldom seen even in the Calcutta bird-market. Such hens 

 as do turn up are, I presume, birds which were got young 

 before their sex could be distinguished ; for all the wild- 

 caught old birds brought in are cocks. 



Those who are interested in acclimatization should 

 make particular note of the Shama, for a splendid 

 songster, ornamental in appearance, and useful in its 

 feeding habits, with no possibility of undue increase, 



