154



Carl Naether—A Beginner tries Softhills



After keeping these two charming songsters for a year without

any particular difficulty, I decided to add a few other interesting

Softhills. Thus when a Japanese bird dealer offered me a Japanese

Eobin Eedbreast (Akahige) and somewhat later a Loochoo or

Temminck’s Eobin ( Luscinia komadori), I took them gladly, even

though I was soon to learn that Eobins’ cages require much more

frequent cleaning each single day than do those of Thrushes. Whereas

Thrushes stay largely on perches, Eobins like to explore the cage bottoms,

thus often dirtying their feet, which, unless given prompt and careful

attention, are likely to develop sores. Both Thrushes and Eobins

as well as their cages are looked after at least half a dozen times

each day.


Both these Japanese birds are good whistlers, though, of course,

their song does not compare with that of either Shama Thrush or

Clarino in length, variety, or quality. The Eobins’ notes are heard

mainly in the early morning, beginning at 5.30. They are somewhat

solemn and dignified, yet spirited, and often repeated. They remind

me very much of those of the American Eobin Eedbreast as I have

listened to their song coming simultaneously from hundreds of birds

high up in the sequoia trees of the California Sierras. The Japanese

Eobin Eedbreast has become so tame that he leaves, and returns to,

his cage at will, for he loves to explore every nook and corner of the

room in which his cage happens to be and to fly on the Shama’s cage

in order to tease and excite him. Like my other Softhills, the Eedbreast

is passionately fond of bathing, returning to his bath-dish time and

time again until he has splashed out almost every bit of water.


Not long ago, a local bird-dealer offered me a Japanese “ Nightingale,

very rare and a very fine singer ”, called Uguisu in Japan. A small,

grey bird it was, very shy and very active, which upon careful investiga¬

tion proved to be the Japanese Bush-warbler (Horeites cantans Tern.).

Though having peculiar call notes, the bird was most assuredly not

a singer of the quality of a Nightingale or Thrush. Unfortunately I did

not have the Bush-warbler long enough to study his habits and his

song closely, as he died suddenly of a stroke, the same fate befalling

also those specimens kept by the dealer. It was the first loss I had

suffered among Softhills, and to this day I do not know what caused



