BLUE THRUSH. 20) 
melancholy, and plaintive note, giving an additional 
charm to the picturesque and beautiful scenery it fre- 
quents. It is a shy bird. It builds in the crevices of 
rocks, on church towers, ruins of mountain castles, and 
other high buildings. Its nest is of considerable size, 
formed of grass and straw, like a shallow bowl, and 
bound together with bents and fibres of roots. 
In the beginning of May it lays five oval shining 
greenish blue eggs, having upon them faint spots of 
violet grey, over which are reddish or red brown 
markings. Some are also unspotted. hey differ from 
P. saratilis in being larger, of a paler colour, and in 
the much clearer spot markings.—Brehm, in Badeker’s 
European Eggs. 
Count Von der Mihle, in his “Grecian Ornithology,” 
remarks of this bird:—‘‘It is very plentiful on the 
rocky hills of the Morea, and in the islands. In its 
habits and song it has a great resemblance to the 
Stonechats. In summer it frequents steep rocky places, 
but in the latter part of autumn it comes plentifully 
into the towns, where it may be observed on the 
topmost ridges of the houses, singing and looking out 
for food. It is wary, and carefully avoids all traps. 
The nest is very difficult to find. I once was shewn 
one built on the Crategus pyracantha, or, as it is 
commonly called, ‘Moses in the Burning Bush.’ ‘he 
nest was built simply of grass, and the young were 
brought up, tamed, and sold in Turkey.” 
In plumage the male and female differ considerably. 
The adult male has the whole of the upper surface of 
a deep greyish blue, many of the feathers margined 
with grey. Wings and tail black, with the wing 
coverts clear, and the tail quills bordered with obscure 
blue. The under parts light blue, with obscure narrow 
