AND SONG BIRDS. 7 



much resemble those of our starling. The 

 bird itself is blue, with black wings and tail ; 

 the blue of the body becoming lighter when 

 placed in different attitudes. 



"Whilst I lodged in the Palazzo di Gregorio, 

 this solitary songster had its nest in the roof of 

 the celebrated Propaganda, across the street 

 " dei due Macelli," and only a few yards from 

 my window. I longed to get at it, but knowing 

 that the Romans would not understand my 

 scaling the walls of the Propaganda, in order 

 to propagate the history of the solitary thrush, 

 and seeing, at the same time, that the hole 

 at which the bird entered was very difficult of 

 access, I deemed it most prudent to keep clear 

 of the Propaganda, and to try to procure the 

 nest from some other quarter. 



The many promises which Roman sportsmen 

 had given me of a nest and eggs of the solitary 

 thrush having entirely failed, and I myself not 

 being able to go in quest of them, on account 

 of an attack of dysentery, which bore heavy on 

 me, I despaired of obtaining the object of my 

 wishes, and I should have left Italy without 

 either nest or eggs, had not the Rev. Mr. Cowie, 

 vice-president of the Scotch College in Rome, 



B 4 



