THE THRUSHES. 67 
best to leave him at liberty ; but it is well to remember 
that he is appreciated in England, and hard to obtain 
there ; and being purely insectivorous, would be a useful 
bird to acclimatize in parts of the tropics where such birds 
are needed. The bird has a wide range naturally, ex- 
tending even into China, whence a good many speci- 
mens are sent to Calcutta, being considered better than 
Indian birds as songsters. 
THe SHama (Ctttocincla macrura), being figured on 
Plate III (Fig. 2), needs no long description ; the figure, 
however, only represents the old male; the female is 
drab where the male is black, and the chestnut of the 
belly is not so rich, nor is her tail quite so long. 
Young birds are brown with buff spots, but have the 
characteristic black-and-white tail. The Shama is a 
jungle-bird, and does not come about houses like the 
Dhayal; but it is a common and widespread species in 
our Empire, especially frequenting hilly ground, though it 
does not ascend the hills to any great height. In Tenas- 
serim the hens are often very dark, and thus tend to 
resemble the cocks. This is a shy bird in the wild state, 
and feeds entirely on insects; it builds from April to 
June, making a nest of grass, leaves, &c., in a hole in a 
tree. The eggs much resemble those of the Dhayal, but 
are not so numerous, four being the usual clutch. The bird 
will very readily take advantage of a big bamboo with a hole 
in 1t set up in any place near its haunts, and may thus be 
encouraged, as it well deserves, on account of its beauty, 
usefulness, and great power of song. I cannot agree 
with those people who even prefer it to the Nightingale ; 
