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of Crataegus pyracantha, and plainly constructed of grass. They are tamed and sold to go to 

 Turkey." 



Mr. Howard Saunders writes : — " No matter how wild the locality, the Blue Rock-Thrush 

 will always be your companion ; and though very shy during the breeding-season, it is by no 

 means so at other times, and I could often have shot specimens. But this I could never bring 

 myself to do ; and it would appear that the Blue Rock-Thrush exercises some influence over the 

 otherwise unimpressionable natives ; for I never saw one amongst the bunches of Thrushes &c. 

 either in Spain or Italy. The eggs are difficult to obtain, both from the situation of the nest 

 and from the habit this bird has of making several nests before finally deciding which it means 

 to occupy. The young are prized for the cage, but not to the same extent as in Italy, Malta, 

 and Greece, where fabulous prices are sometimes given for a good songster." Again he gives a 

 note as follows: — "Although the Blue Rock-Thrush is always to be found about the Coliseum, 

 the Baths of Caracalla, and, indeed, any large ruin, yet I never noticed a specimen in the market, 

 in which respect my experience tallies with that of Dr. Sclater, as expressed in his list of Roman 

 birds, published some years ago (Zoologist, 1854, pp. 4160-4164)." 



For the following interesting account of the breeding of the Blue Rock-Thrush, we are 

 indebted to our kind friend Major Irby : — "A pair nested in a hole outside the wall of my stable 

 at Gibraltar, in June 1869. Five eggs were laid, which were hatched about the 20th. The nest 

 was of small dried roots, and was very scanty. When the young were hatched I broke through 

 the wall from the inside of the stable to the nest, making the hole large enough to admit a small 

 cage, in which I placed the nest and young : over the inside hole I then hung an old coat so as 

 to shut out the light from the inside, cutting a small slit in the coat, through which I used to 

 watch the old birds feeding their young within six inches' distance. Both birds fed them, at 

 intervals of not more than five minutes. The food consisted almost entirely of centipedes 

 (Scolopendrce), with now and then a large spider or a bluebottle fly by way of change : where they 

 could have found so many centipedes, I cannot imagine, as they are insects which lie hid all day 

 under stones &c. The head, in which is supposed to be venom, was always bitten off, and the 

 body so mangled as to be quite dead. Two of the five young died in the cage, from the old birds 

 not being able to get at them. Of the other three only one attained maturity, living till October, 

 when, to my great regret, he went the way of all pets. He was very tame, and of most engaging 

 habits and disposition, in fact, what the Spaniards call ' simpatico.' In his younger days he was 

 fed on soaked bread and bruised snails ; later on he had more fruit. These birds are very difficult 

 to keep any length of time ; they will live a year in a cage, but seldom more, and should be fed 

 with chopped liver. The Blue Thrush very often perches on trees, is at Gibraltar and Tangier 

 frequently seen on the house-tops, and though generally observed on bare rocky ground, is some- 

 times found in wooded parts, if there are any high rocks ; for instance, a pair nest at the first 

 waterfall near Algeciraz, which is in the midst of a dense forest. I was unable to detect any 

 migration of this bird, and believe it never changes its abode. It has a habit in the courting- 

 season of flying out straight a little way from a rock, and then suddenly dropping with the wings 

 half shut, like a Woodpigeon in nesting-time. The Blue Thrush is very fond of ivy-berries, as 

 well as all fruit." 



Lord Lilford writes : — " I found this species a delightful cage-bird, from its quaint manners 



