146 



8 



and sweet, low song. I had one here for more than five years, but I never could manage to keep 

 the Rock-Thrush (11. saxatilis) for more than a few months. The Blue Thrush is very fond of 

 figs, fresh or dried, but is one of the most omnivorous birds with which I am acquainted. Literally, 

 fish, flesh, fowl, and fruit I have seen it devour with apparently equal gusto, to say nothing of 

 almost any insect." In ' The Ibis ' he states : — " A bird of this species, which I bought at 

 Palermo, immediately attacked and devoured a Willow- Wren which came on board our yacht in 

 a gale off the south coast of Sicily, in November 1856." Loche also remarks on its food: — 

 " This bird feeds principally on insects, and destroys large numbers of grasshoppers ; and only in 

 want of these does it feed on berries and fruit." 



Much has been said about the song of the present bird ; and we add one more note from the 

 pen of Dr. A. von Homeyer, who writes, under the date of April 14th, 1861 : — "This afternoon 

 I walked about the town of Palma, and was delighted to find that what I had so often heard of 

 and read is really true. A Blue Thrush (P. e//aneus), sitting immovable on the top of the tower 

 of the church, uttered its sweet song from thence. I remained there a full quarter of an hour, 

 and strove, listening to its peculiar melody, to remain quite unbiassed as far as the Rock-Thrush 

 (]\ saxatilis) is concerned. It is quite true what I wrote (J. f. O. vii. p. 317), viz. that P. vi/aneus 

 is really a good songster, ami not less so than P. saxatilis. It pauses, however, more, and its 

 strophes are not so regular, and it repeats itself now and then, from which its song does not 

 appear so good as that of P. saxatilis, though it is not less varied. The notes are very much 

 alike, full, rich, flute-like." Mr. A. Basil Brooke remarks in a letter to us, " Their song is 

 cheerful and loud, frequently uttered while they are on the wing, enlivening the rocky and wild 

 gorges, which are their favourite haunts." 



Mr. W. II. Iludleston has given an account of a nest he found near Mesolonghi : — "We 

 discovered, on the 1st of June 1852, a nest of the Blue Thrush in a hole near the top of the 

 Largest stone, about 10 feet from the ground. The nest resembled the well-known one of Tardus 

 merula, but was more loosely constructed and shallower. This, however, would arise from the 

 bird having to accommodate itself to the shape of the cavity in which it was placed. The eggs 

 arc of a greenish blue, very delicate, and without any spots." 



In Dresser's collection are two eggs of this bird obtained from Count Ernesto Turati, who 

 took them in Lombardy. In colour they are pale blue, having a few scarcely perceptible red 

 <lnts at the larger end, and in size measure l^y by |^ inch, and l- 4 % by f§ inch respectively. 

 Mr. A. Benzon, of Copenhagen, writes to us that " he has eggs of this bird collected in Greece 

 by Dr. Kriiper on the 8th June 1862. They measure 28-5 by 20, and 30 by 20 millims., are 

 whitish blue in colour, with fine rust-spots, particularly at the larger end. 



In the preparation of the above article we have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mas. Sliarpe and Dresser. 



a, ,'. . Nice (//". Schliiter). b, j. Piedmont (Salvadori). c, d. Monte S. Elia, Sardinia, January 17th, 1863 

 (Salvadori). d,s. Macedonia, November 2nd, 1809 (Kriiper). e. Egypt (Rogers), f. Punjaub 

 (C.H. T. Marshall). 



