THE THRUSHKS. 69 
Shama is kept, itis quite easy to make up the satoo one’s 
self, and a few pice to the sweeper ought to produce sufti- 
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 egg, or both. 
The Shama is regularly taken to England, and may 
be obtained from the larger bird-dealers there; but it 
is always an expensive bird, and likely to remain 
so, as such quarrelsome creatures cannot be taken 
over in numbers, to say nothing of the trouble insepar- 
able from feeding insectivorous birds. Such amateurs, 
however, as have kept the Shama are enthusiastic in 
their admiration for it, and, as it will live well at home 
if kept comfortable 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 usefu! in its 
