The Thrush Tribe. 51 



In confinement it thrives upon the bird-fanciers' 

 " universal pastes," and barley-meal or wheaten bran 

 moistened with water. A more generous diet, a little 

 meat, bread, etc,, \vill improve its song. It must have 

 a large cage, at least three and a half or four feet long, 

 and nearly as high, and must be well supplied with 

 water for bathing, and the cage must be kept very 

 clean, or it will soon become offensive. The young 

 birds should be fed upon bread soaked in milk : they 

 will very soon become tame, and will imitate other 

 notes besides their own ; still they are not desirable 

 birds to keep in captivity, for in an aviary or bird-room 

 they will probably assail their neighbours, being very 

 combative, quarrelsome birds, ready to attack Mag- 

 pies, and even Hawks, ancKshowing great courage in 

 defence of their nest and young, on occasion. 



The SONG THRUSH (Turdus musictis).^\\Q "Song 

 Thrush," " Throstle," or " Mavis," is a well-known bird 

 throughout Europe, and is one of our best songsters, 

 enlivening our woods from the very beginning of spring 

 till quite late in the autumn. On account of its 

 beautiful voice it is in great request as a cage bird, 

 and although in its wild state somewhat shy, it is 

 capable of becoming very tame in captivity, especially 

 if taken from the nest when young. The Thrush 

 generally builds in a holly-tree, hawthorn, or some 

 close bush not very far from the ground. In the 

 volume of "Science Gossip" for 1865 an anecdote is 



42 



