450 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 93 



put my hand around him and moved the tempting- morsel in 

 a circle around his beak. It was of no use. The bird con- 

 tinued to make a loud, automatic chirp. 



I, too, was troubled. Suppose that he should starve to 

 death ! If I carried him back to the woods, would the parent 

 birds be in the vicinity of the nest? Thus I meditated. Still 

 the little fellow refused to eat. 



In the meantime a child came who begged me to visit a 

 nest which she had found in a hayfield more than a mile and 

 a half distant. I argued that the little bird would not eat 

 until he became sufficiently hungry. I could not hurry the 

 matter by standing by. I went with Dorothy. 



It was 4 :30 p. m. when I returned. I sat on the mat where 

 the food was in the middle of the room and took up the scis- 

 sors. The m.oment that the Thrush heard the scissors click 

 he flew from the windowsill to the floor and opened his beak 

 for food. He ate two earthworms, cut up into bits, then he 

 perched on my knee and preened his feathers, pulling off 

 fragments of the quill casings. In the future he never hesi- 

 tated to take food when he was hungry. 



As it began to grow dark the Thrush mounted the lilac 

 branch which I had placed for a roost in a large packing box 

 in the corner of the room for him, laid the tips of his beak 

 on his wing and went to sleep. 



At 3 :30 the following morning the little visitor began to 

 call for food. I carried him to a spring not very far from 

 the house, but he was not ready to bathe. He hopped around 

 while I dug earthworms, and ate four with a relish. 



Yesterday, instinct prompted the little bird to hide among 

 the grasses and under the leaves ; today, instinct prompted 

 him to perch high in a tree. Here he slept as if he were a 

 part of the great out-of-door world. After eating he always 

 took a nap. The second evening, when the Thrush went to 

 roost, he really tucked his beak under his wing. 



At this stage the Olive-backed Thrush has large, intelligent, 

 hazel eyes that look black in shadow ; he is exquisitely col- 

 ored. The upper parts are olive, speckled with golden-buffy; 



