34 VARIED THRUSH. 
The Robin is excellently adapted to cage-life. One of these fine Thrushes in a 
roomy cage is a delightful sight. The bird is often kept in confinement and is a really 
satisfatory and persevering songster. Wilson tells us that a lady of his acquaintance 
who was very fond of birds, reared and kept a Robin in a cage for seventeen years, 
and would probably have kept it longer had its days not been cut short by a cat. 
Caged Robins are best fed with two parts of ‘‘Mockingbird Food,” mixed with one part 
of grated carrot and with an abundance of meal-worms. They should also have fruit 
and berries from time to time. Young birds taken from the nest and reared by hand, 
become very tame and affeétionate. Next to the famous Mockingbird no inse¢tivorous 
bird is such a favorite cage-pet among American people as the Robin. . 
NAMES: Rosin, AMEricAN Rosin, Robin Redbreast, Migratory Thrush, Red-breasted Thrush.— Germ. Wander- 
drossel, Robin, Rotbrust-Drossel. 
SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Turdus migratorius Linn., MERULA MIGRATORIA Sw. 
DESCRIPTION: Above plain ashy-gray, becoming blackish on the tail, and entirely black on the head; 
under parts including the under wing-coverts beautiful deep chestnut brown; under tail-coverts and 
tibiae white, more or less tinted with gray; throat white, streaked with black; eye-lids white; ends of 
the outer tail-feather tipped with white. Bill of a rich yellow, upper mandible tipped with black. 
Female usually a little paler. Young, chiefly on the under parts, spotted dusky.—Length 9.50 to 
10.50 inches. 
A local race of our beautiful Robin inhabits the western part of the Union. 
Merula migratoria propinqua RipGway (Western Robin) is distributed from British 
Columbia south to the tablelands of Mexico, and east to and including the Rocky 
Mountains. 
(The St. Lucas Rosin [Merula confinis Brv.] is to be found in Lower California 
near St. Lucas. 
The MatzaTLan Rosin [M. flavirostris Swatns.] is confirted to western and south- 
ern Mexico, north to Matzatlan. 
The Tres Marias Rosin [M. graysoni Rwew.] inhabits the Tres Marias Islands, 
western Mexico.) 
VARIED THRUSR. 
Hesperocichla naevia RIDGWAY. 
PLATE I. Fic. 3. 
Z[e"HE Vartep THRUSH is the most beautiful member of its family. It inhabits the 
ee north western part of our country, especially the coast region, and breeds 
from Washington north to Alaska. In winter it is found in considerable numbers in 
California, and as a straggler it sometimes occurs in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and 
Long Island. The bird was discovered at Nootka Sound by the naturalists accompany- 
ing Captain Cook on his third voyage around the globe. The specimens passed into 
the possession of the famous direCtor of the Kew Gardens, Sir Joseph Banks. The 
