THRUSHES. 



477 



composed of line roots, moss, and dried herbs ; and the eggs are pure light blue, 

 without spots. The young are often reared from the nest by hand, especially in 

 the north of Italy, and are much prized as cage-birds ; the song of the rock-thrush 

 being extremely beautiful, though not so fine as that of the blue rock-thrush, 

 which we incline to place first in the rank of European songsters. Timid and 

 fearful as is the rock-thrush in a state of freedom, if reared from the nest it 

 becomes a charming pet : and we have kept both old and young birds, and found 

 them tame and confiding. Although the rock-thrush is a very local and even rare 

 bird in most parts of its range, and does not ordinarily migrate farther north than 



-- mf^s 



rock-thrush (i nat. size). 



Central France, stragglers have been identified in Great Britain, as well as in 

 Heligoland. The food of the rock - thrush consists principally of beetles and 

 other insects, but the bird shares the fondness of its congeners for wild berries 

 and garden fruits. The adult male has the head and neck ashy blue ; the scapulars 

 are blackish, slightly washed with blue; the centre of the back is pure white; the 

 tail and upper tail-coverts are light red ; the entire throat ashy blue ; while the 

 rest of the under-parts are rufous orange. 



Blue The blue rock-thrush ( M. cyanus) is chiefly found in the countries 



Rock-Thrush, bordering the Mediterranean, and is a wild, shy bird of solitary 



disposition, resident in single pairs in rocky districts. Canon Tristram has shown 



that this bird is the " sparrow that sitteth alone upon the housetop " of the Psalmist. 



