te 
154 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 
they were in full song round the commons at Savannah, as if straining 
to ontstrip the Mocking Bird, that prince of feathered musicians. 
Tae Thrasher is a welcome visitant in spring, to every lover of ru- 
ral scenery and rural song. Inthe months of April and May, when 
our woods, hedge-rows, orchards, and cherry-trees, are one profusion 
of blossoms, when every object around conveys the sweet senestions 
of joy, and Heaven’s abundance is, ae it were, showering arotin. us, 
the grateful heart beats in unison wit! the varying, elevated strain: of 
this excellent bird; we listen to its notes with a kind of devoticnal 
ecstasy, as a morning hymn to the g~eat and most adorable Creator of 
all. The human being who, aiaidst sich scenes, and in stich sear ns 
of rural serenity and delight, can pass them with cold indifferei:.e. 
and even contempt, I sincerely pity; for abject must that heart be, 
and callous those feelings, and depraved that taste, which neither zie 
charms of nature, nor the melody of innocence, nor the voice of g-at- 
itude or devotion, can reach. 
This bird inhabits North America, from Canada to the point of Flor-_ 
ida. They are easily reared, and become very familiar when kep: in 
cages; and though this is rarely done, yet I have known a few in- 
stances where they sang in confinement with as much energy as in: 
their native woods. They ought frequently to have earth and gravel. 
thrown in to them, and have plenty of water to bathe in. L 
The Ferruginous Thrush is eleven inches and a half long, and thirg 
teen in extent; the whole upper parts are of a bright reddish brown; 
wings, crossed with two bars of white, relieved with black; tips ind 
inner vanes of the wings, dusky; tail, very long, rounded at the ead 
broad, and of the same reddish brown as the back; whole lower pats, 
yellowish white; the breast, and sides under the wings, beautifully 
marked with long, pointed spots of black, running in chains; chia, 
white; bill, very long and stout, not notched, the upper mandible over- 
hanging the lower a little, and beset with strong bristles at the be 2, 
black above, and whitish below, near the base; legs, remarkably stro. ..., 
and of a dusky clay color; iris of the eye, brilliant yellow. The ¢- 
male may be distinguished from the male by the white on the w: ig 
being much narrower, and the spots on the breast less. In oti *r 
respects, their plumage is nearly alike. 
Concerning the sagacity and reasoning faculty of this bird, my v. - 
erable friend Mr. Bartram writes me as follows:—-“I remember o 
have reared one of these birds from the nest, which, when full grov 
became very tame and docile. I frequently let him out of his cage 
give him a taste of liberty. After fluttering and dusting himself in« 
% 
9 
y 
sand and earth, and bathing, washing, and dressing himself, he wo 1 
J 
proceed to hunt insects, such as beetles, crickets, and other she 
tribes; but, being very fond of wasps, after catching them, and knoc s- 
ing them about to break their wings, he would Jay them down, thun 
examine if they had a sting, and, with his bill, squeeze the abdonen 
to clear it of the reservoir of poison before he would swallow ‘is 
prey. When in his cage, being very fond of dry crusts of bread f, | 
upon trial, the corners of the crumbs were too hard and sharp for, as_ re \ 
i ‘ 
throat, he would throw them up, carry, and put them in his water dvi 
to soften; then take them out and swallow them. Many other |e. 
markable circumstances migh’ be mt ntioned that would fully demun-» 
