18 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



ported. The White-throated Ground-Thrush has been 

 imported more than once. Mr. Reginald Phillipps 

 {The Arii'iiltural Magazine, N.S., Vol. II.) writes along 

 account of the species (pp. 179-188). He tell us that 

 he obtained, two males on the 8th October, 1902. and 

 says that, " although a great deal on the ground and 

 in low bushes, they are often on the higher perches. 

 They prefer to roost on their natural twigs, sometimes 

 about 3ft. to 4ft. from the ground, very often on the 

 highest available spot." 



Contrary to what Mr. Darling says of the song, Mr. 

 Phillipps says " they sing from early dawn until nearly 

 dark for fully nine months out of the twelve " ; and. in 

 opposition to what Jerdon says about the song being 



He says that some experts during the summer give 

 nothing but fresh ants' eggs, others rich Nightingale 

 food and shredded figs, and others, again, equal parts 

 of ants' eggs and white worms moistened with grated 

 carrot. As I find that my own mixture, with fruit and 

 insects, seems to suit all kinds of insectivorous birds, 

 I should think Russ's own suggestion as to the correct 

 food is good enough. 



COMMON ROCK-THRUSH (Monticola xa.rafilit). 



Male : Head and neck slate-blue ; mantle darker, 

 varied with blackish brown ; lower part of back white ; 

 rump bluish slate ; upper tail-coverts bright orange ; 

 tail orange, excepting central feathers, which are pale 



THE ROCK-THRUSH. 



not often heard, he says " their clear, ringing voices 

 have been cheering our hearts all through this dull, 

 cheerless winter, are falling on my ears now as I write, 

 and have this winter compelled the most captious of 

 my neighbours, however unwillingly, to admire the 

 glorious singing of the birds." 



In the bird show at the Crystal Palace in January, 

 1905, Mr. Hawkins exhibited a specimen of this species, 

 a drawing of which appeared in The Fiaflm-i'd Wnrlrl, 

 and it is possible that other examples may have been 

 imported. 



Rock=Thrushes (Montiwlit}. 



According to Russ, these birds should be fed upon a 

 general Thrush mixture and eight to fifteen mealworms 

 daily, or, instead of these, on various kinds of insects, 

 worms, slugs, berries, and various other kinds of fruit. 



brown with orange bases ; flights brown ; wing-coverts 

 darker, more or less fringed with white ; under surface 

 from throat downwards, including under tail-coverts 

 and axillaries, bright orange ; bill, eyes, and feet dark 

 brown. Female : Mottled above with various shades 

 of brown ; upper tail-coverts and tail orange ; below 

 buff, suffused with pale orange and pale brown, less 

 distinctly mottled than above ; throat and breast 

 darker ; abdomen and crissum paler ; under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries orange. 



Habitat, mountains of Southern Europe and Central 

 Asia to South Siberia and China. It visits North and 

 East Africa on migration, as well as the borders of 

 India and North Burma. J. I. S. Whitaker thinks it 

 probable that many examples remain in Tunisia to 

 breed. According to Mr. Meade-Waldo it breeds in 

 suitable localities in Morocco. He met with it at an 



