24



Mr. Alex. Hampe,



“ abode, than, whenever a fair morning occurs, it mounts the topmost

“ twig of a detached tree, and pours forth its loud richly varied and

“ highly melodious song. It is impossible,” he added, “ to convey

“ the charms of the full song of the Brown Thrush ; you must go to

“ its own woods and there listen to it. The actions of this species

“during the period of courtship are very curious, the male often

“ strutting before the female with its tail trailing on the ground,

“ moving gracefully round her, in the manner of some pigeons.”


It is of special interest to aviculturists to read Audubon’s

words, where he writes “ They breed well in aviaries, and are quite

“ tractable in a closer state of confinement. In cages it sings well,

“ and has much the movements of the Mocking-Bird, being full of

“ activity, petulant, and occasionally apt to peck in resentment at

the hand which happens to approach it.”


Audubon’s friend Bachman wrote to him as follows concern¬

ing a tame Brown Thrasher that he had : “So perfectly gentle did

this bird become, that when I opened its cage, it would follow me

“ about the yard and garden. The instant it saw me take a spade

“ or hoe, it would follow at my heels, and as I turned up the earth,

would pick up every insect or worm thus exposed. I kept it for

“ three years, and its affection for me at last cost it its life. It

“usually slept on the back of my chair, in my study, and one night

“ the door being accidently left open, it was killed by a cat.”


The reproduction of the coloured plate was most kindly per¬

mitted by the National Association of Audubon Societies, and was

originally published in “ Bird-Lore.” The Brown Thrasher is allied

to the Mocking Birds, and is not a true Thrush.



BIRD-KEEPING IN CHINA


By Alex. Hampe.


To keep birds in China is in many ways not as easy as in

Europe. There is first the climate which is changeable to the

extreme, viz. : very hot and damp during the summer months, and

rather cold, with sharp winds, from December until April.


The autumn is, however, delightful, and it is then when my

birds always look their best and happiest.



