2 So 



lEMtorial. 



THE PUGNACITY OF THRUSHES AND OUZELS:— 



Quoting again from Capt. Perreau's instructive letter, another 

 of his interesting field experiences, wliich I am sure will prove 

 of interest and practical utilitj to many of our members who 

 indulge in the family TURDID^^J. As 1 read the original 

 notes, I ardentlj' wished that Capt. Purreau had also been a 

 devotee of the camera, then we could have had illustrations of 

 the tree, nest, and young. I have kept the Grey-winged Ouzel, 

 and kept it with Waxbills and small fiuches, and as already 

 recorded in Bird Notes, it never harmed one; but I have only 

 had oue specimen, a male. I wish to qualify what I have pre- 

 viousl}' written, that if these birds are kept in a mixed series of 

 various sized birds, only an odd male should be put in, as it is 

 very evident that when nesting, the}' would be most unsafe 

 company for their smaller fellow captives. 



Capt. P.'s notes speak for themselves. — " I must add that 

 *' they are pugnacious indeed, and have caused numerous 

 " losses in the aviary (in addition to other expenses) as I have 

 " twice caught the Grey-winged Ouzel aided by the Magpie 

 " Robins devouring or attempting to devour mangled Java 

 " Sparrow nestlings, I do not know which (if either) started 

 "the game, but I get no Javas in that aviary; Javas seem 

 " rather fools, Pekin Robins always defeated them while all 

 " others (including Zebras) in that aviary successfull}' brought 

 " off j'oung (of course I mean the ones that tried to breed). 

 '' However I have Javas in another aviary, sodo not mind much, 

 " though this sounds brutal. 



" I fancy Ouzels, etc., are rather unsafe with nestlings ; at 

 " Kajiar I found my first Tickell's (real ones they were, I caught 

 " the hen later) nest b\' watching the old ones beat off a pair of 

 " Red-headed Laughing Thrushes. I should never have found 

 " the nest otherwise though they had 3'ouug, the old ones 

 *' were awfully cautious and the nest as usual was quite invis- 

 *' ible except from just above (in the tree itself). The Red- 

 " heads were evidently enemies to be feared and were most 

 " persistent, I watched them for quite an hour, and how long 



