236 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 



amiliaf when kept in cages ; and though this is rarely done, 

 yet I have known a few instances where they sang in confine- 

 ment 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. 



The ferruginous thrush is eleven inches and a half long, 

 and thirteen in extent ; the whole upper parts are of a bright 

 reddish brown ; wings, crossed with two bars of white, relieved 

 with black ; tips and inner vanes of the wings, dusky ; tail, 

 very long, rounded at the end, broad, and of the same reddish 

 brown as the back ; whole lower parts, yellowish white ; the 

 breast, and sides under the wings, beautifully marked with 

 long pointed spots of black, running in chains ; chin, white ; 

 bill, very long and stout, not notched, the upper mandible 

 overhanging the lower a little, and beset with strong bristles 

 at the base, black above, and whitish below, near the base ; 

 legs, remarkably strong, and of a dusky clay colour ; iris of 

 the eye, brilliant yellow. The female may be distinguished 

 from the male by the white on the wing being much narrower, 

 and the spots on the breast less. In other respects, their 

 plumage is nearly alike. 



Concerning the sagacity and reasoning faculty of this bird, 

 my venerable friend Mr Bartram writes me as follows : — " I 

 remember to have reared one of these birds from the nest ; 

 which, when full grown, became very tame and docile. I 

 frequently let him out of his cage to give him a taste of 

 liberty ; after fluttering and dusting himself in dry sand and 

 earth, and bathing, washing, and dressing himself, he would 

 proceed to hunt insects, such as beetles, crickets, and other 

 shelly tribes; but, being very fond of wasps, after catching 

 them, and knocking them about to break their wings, he 

 would lay them down, then examine if they had a sting, and, 

 with his bill, squeeze the abdomen to clear it of the reservoir 

 of poison before he would swallow his prey. When in his 

 cage, being very fond of dry crusts of bread, if, upon trial, the 

 corners of the crumbs were too hard and sharp for his throat, 



