338 



THE HERMIT THEUSH, 



bathed Avitii me in the morning, he took his dinner with me from my plate, and perched 

 at night close to my head. He sat on my shoidder or head when I worked, and seemed 

 to express his opinion in regard to my progress in bird-making with quite a connoissenring 

 air. He grew to be profoundly jealous of all other birds ; and if I talked to a fine 

 mocking-bird, whose cage hung m my room, he would become so enraged, and finally 

 depressed, that I became alarmed — I feared he would die. 



One day I had given this bird some water ; my hand was in the cage, the mocking- 

 bird was pecking at my fingers, when with a loud and vicious scream General Bem 

 dashed from the floor up into the cage, and commenced a violent assault on the inmate. 

 The struggle was but for a moment ; he dashed out and I shut the cage-door, while Bem, 

 mounted on the bed-post, sent forth such yells of fury as I never heard from bird's lungs 

 before. I could not pacify him for a long time — several hours ; he hid in the shade of 

 the furniture, and ^vould not be induced to come out. The next day the mocker was 

 flying about the room, Bem assailed him, and the fight became so desperate that I was 

 obliged to send the mocking-bird away, while my poor Bem was seized with convulsions, 

 and I thought him dead after a few moments. But his time had not yet come ; he lived 

 to pass through many such scenes of painful suffering." 



HERMIT THRUSH.— :Z-«/Ju6 :,ulU,}rius. 



The Hermit Thrush is also a native of America, and is generally found in the 

 countries adjoining to the Mississippi during the winter, making a partial migration to 

 Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee during the summer. 



The name of Hermit is given to this bird on account of its eremitical and retiring 

 habits, for this Thrush Avithdraws itself from the open country and systematically hides 

 itself in the darkest and most secluded cane-brakes. Even when it ventures into the 

 more open lands in search of food, it does not make itself conspicuous, but keeps ever 

 near the ground, flitting with swift and steady wing to and from the lonely brake where 

 its nest is placed. This species is not known to possess any true song, merely uttering a 

 very low and plaintive cry. 



The nest of the Hermit Thrush is always placed in the thickest shelter, and is com- 

 posed of dried leaves and grasses without any mud wall, and lined with grasses of a fine 

 character. The eggs are about five in number, and their colour a light blue, variegated 

 with black-brown spots on the larger end. There are usually two broods in the "year. 

 The food of this species is almost whoUy of a vegetable character. The general colour is 

 buffy-brown on the upper parts, warming into a decided ruddy tinge upon the tail and 



