374 Correspondence.


Norwegians tell me that the hare turns white by losing the brown

coat, and that the Eider Duck also moults the coloured feathers to grow

white ones.


I have had various Pheasants this summer: the young are beginning

to put on tinges of gold in patches, and the pen is full of their moulted

feathers; no adults are in the pen with them. Rose Haig Thomas.



TURD US MURINUS.


Sir, — I have once more had the audacity to correct the authorities at

the Zoological Gardens ! Having lately purchased a Thrush brought over from

Guiana as Turdus phceopygus (Mr. Harper who brought it is in no wa}' to

blame for the mistake) and having examined the bird and compared it with

the coloured plates in Seebohm's splendid work, "The Monograph of the

Thrushes," I come to the conclusion that it is T. murinus, not T. phosopygus.

Having also seen a Thrush, of the same species as my own, in the

Western Aviary at the Gardens, labelled as T. phosopygus, I ventured [what

will the Superintendent say?!] to write to Dr. Chalmers Mitchell to

suggest that the said Thrush had been misnamed.


Dr. Chalmers Mitchell at once wrote to say that he would have the

bird examined, and a few days afterwards I received this reply : — " I have

" sent over the Thrush to the British Museum for Dr. Bowdler Sharpe to

*' see it. He agrees with you that it is 1\ murinus, although not quite a

" normal specimen."


I might add that 7'. phosopygus is a Thrush with much more russet

coloured upper parts than T. murinus, and also with the stripes running

from the base of the bill down the throat much more denned, ending in a

white patch beneath them. 7'. murinus is of a more olive brown on the

upper parts, the stripes on the throat are considerably fainter, and there is

no white patch at the base of them.


T. murinus rather resembles a female Blackbird. Anyone not well

up in the Thrush family would, on first sight, put it down as such.


The bird that I have promises to be a very good songster, for although

he is moulting he gives forth \sotto voce] some very sweet notes.


Mr. Harper very courteously offered to take the Thrush back if it

proved not to be T. phosopygus, but I am quite content with it as it is.


Hubert D. Astley.



TREATMENT OF WOOD-SWALLOWS.


Sir, — Would you be so kind as to advise me on the treatment of

some Wood-Swallows I have just had sent to me.


I conclude these birds are Shrikes and so at present I am feeding

them on a mixture of crushed sweet biscuit, dry ants' eggs, dried flies, and

egg-flake moistened, also about two or three mealworms each a day, and

three times a week a very little raw meat grated into the insect food.



