PETROCOSSYPHUS CYANUS. 75 
lie in their districts^ they are always to be found at Gibraltar 
in unvarying numbers, frequenting daily the same spots, and 
attracting considerable notice both from their agreeable song 
and conspicuous habits. 
I here repeat a note I made about their nesting, which has 
already appeared in Sharpe and Dresser's account of this 
species : — " A pair nested in a hole outside the wall of my 
stable at Gibraltar in June 1869. Five eggs were laid, which 
were hatched about the 20th. The nest, composed of small 
dried bits of roots, was very scanty and ill put together. 
When the young were hatched, I broke through the wall 
from the inside of the stable to the nest, making the hole 
large enough to admit a small cage, in which I placed the 
nest and young; over the inside hole I then hung an old 
coat, so as to shut out the light from the inside, cutting 
a small slit in the coat, through which I used to watch the 
old birds feeding their young within six inches distance. 
Both birds fed them, at intervals of not more than five 
minutes. The food consisted almost entirely of centipedes 
(Scolopendrce), with now and then a large spider or blue- 
bottle fly by way of change. Where they could have found 
so many centipedes I cannot imagine, as they are insects 
which lie hid all day under stones &c. The head, in which 
is supposed to be venom, was always bitten off; and the 
insect so mangled as to be quite dead. Two of the five 
young died in the cage, from the old birds not being able to 
get at them. Of the other three, only one attained maturity, 
living till October, when, to my great regret, he went the way 
of all pets. He was very tame, and of most engaging habits 
and disposition — in fact, what the Spaniards call ' simpatico.' 
In his early days he was fed on bread and bruised snails; 
later on he had more fruit, which I have no doubt killed him. 
They are difficult birds to keep alive, and (I have since been 
told) require to be fed on chopped liver. 
" The Blue Thrush very often perches on trees, and at 
Gibraltar and Tangier is frequently seen on the house-tops, 
though generally observed on bare rocky ground. It is 
sometimes found in wooded parts if there are any high 
