108 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 



and delight, can pass them with cold indifference, and even con- 

 tempt, I sincerely pity; for abject must that heart be and callous 

 those feelings, and depraved that taste, which neither the charms 

 of nature, nor the melody of innocence, nor the voice of grati- 

 tude or devotion can reach. 



This bird inhabits North America from Canada to the point 

 of Florida. They are easily reared, and become very familiar 

 when kept in cages; and though this is rarely done, yet I have 

 known a few instances where they sung in confinement with as 

 much energy as in their native woods. They ought frequently 

 to have earth and gravel thrown in to them, and have plenty of 

 water to bathe in. 



The Ferruginous Thrush is eleven inches and a half long, and 

 thirteen in extent; the whole upper parts are of a bright reddish 

 brown; wings crossed with two bars of white, relieved with 

 black; tips and inner vanes of the wings dusky; tail very long, 

 rounded at the end, broad, and of the same reddish brown as the 

 back; whole lower parts yellowish white; the breast, and sides 

 under the wings, beautifully marked with long pointed spots of 

 black, running in chains; chin white; bill very long and stout, not 

 notched, the upper mandible overhanging the lower a little, and 

 beset with strong bristles at the base, black above, and whitish 

 below near the base; legs remarkably strong and of a dusky clay 

 color; iris of the eye brilliant yellow. The female may be dis- 

 tinguished from the male by the white on the wing being much 

 narrower, and the spots on the breast less. In other respects 

 their plumage is nearly alike. 



Concerning the sagacity and reasoning faculty of this bird my 

 venerable friend Mr. Bartram writes me as follows: " I remem- 

 ' < ber to have reared one of these birds from the nest; which 

 " when full grown became very tame and docile. I frequently let 

 " him out of his cage to give him a taste of liberty; after fluttering 

 " and dusting himself in dry sand and earth, and bathing, wash- 

 " ing and dressing himself, he would proceed to hunt insects, 

 " such as beetles, crickets, and other shelly tribes; but being very 

 " fond of wasps, after catching them and knocking them about to 



