THE THRUSH FAMILY 9 
ferent way from his wild brothers. He did not 
swallow them whole, but beat them to a jelly 
before trying to eat. 
This pet had a sweet, low song of his own. 
He never sang like his wild brothers until his 
second year, when he had been out and heard 
them sing. 
A pair of robins that were blown from a nest 
in a high wind were reared and kept in a large 
cage by Mrs. Grinnell in California. The first 
year the singer did not sing, but in the second 
year a wild mockingbird came to teach him. He 
would alight on the cage, which hung out of 
doors, and sing softly a long time, till the robin 
began to do the same. When he could sing, it 
was more like a mockingbird than lke a robin. 
The mocker was very fond of his pupil, and used 
to bring him berries and other wild dainties. 
These robins made a nest of things the mis- 
tress gave them, and eggs began to appear in it. 
But as soon as one was laid, one of the birds 
would jump into the nest and kick and scratch 
till it was thrown out and broken. They seemed 
to think the pretty blue eggs were playthings. 
When the weather grew hot, Bobby, the singer, 
showed his sense by spending most of his time 
lying in his bathing-dish, covered with water 
up to his ears. He would lie there an hour 
