cedar, or holly-bush, are favourite spots and frequently selected. It is no great objection with him that these happen, sometimes, to be near the farm or mansion house: always ready to defend, but never over anxious to conceal, his nest, he very often builds within a small distance of the house; and not unfrequently in a pear or apple tree; rarely at a greater height than six or seven feet from the ground. The nest varies a little with different individuals, according to the conveniency of collecting suitable materials. A very complete one is now lying before me, and is composed of the following substances. First a quantity of dry twigs and sticks, then withered tops of weeds of the preceding year intermixed with fine straws, hay, pieces of wool, and tow; and, lastly, a thick layer of fine fibrous roots, of a light brown colour, lines the whole. The eggs are four, sometimes five, of a cinereous blue, marked with large blotches of brown. The female sits fourteen days; and generally produces two broods in the season, unless robbed of her eggs, in which case she will even build and lay the third time. Attempts have been made to induce these charming birds to pair, and rear their young in a state of confinement, and the result has been such as to prove it, by proper management, perfectly practicable. In the spring of 1808, a Mr. Klein, living in North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, partitioned off about twelve feet square in the third story of his house. This was lighted by a pretty large wire-grated window. In the centre of this small room, he planted a cedar bush, five or six feet high, in a box of earth; and scattered about a sufficient quantity of materials suitable for building. Into this place, a male and female mocking-bird were put, and soon began to build. The female laid five eggs, all of which she hatched, and fed the young with great affection until they were nearly able to fly.

Business calling the proprietor from home, for two weeks, he left the birds to the care of his domestics; and on his return found, to his great regret, that they had been neglected in food. The young ones were all dead, and the parents themselves nearly famished. The same pair have again commenced building this season, in the same place, and have at this time, July 4, three young, likely to do well. The place might be fitted up with various kinds of shrubbery, so as to resemble their native thickets; and ought to be as remote from noise and interruption of company as possible, and strangers rarely allowed to disturb or even approach them *"

The Mocking-bird (Orpheus polyglottus).

The hermit or solitary thrush (Turdus solitarius), which has been erroneously said to be found in Britain, *Wilson, Amer. Oruith. ii, 24.

and is reported to be of frequent occurrence both in Europe and America, executes a nest of basket-work still more neatly than the mocking-bird. Wilson describes one which he examined, as having been fixed on the upper part of the body of a branch, and constructed with great neatness; but without mud or plaster, as is invariably the case with the wood-thrush (Turdus melodus). The outside was composed of a considerable quantity of coarse rooty grass, intermixed with horse-hair, and lined with a fine green-coloured, thread-like grass, perfectly dry, laid circular in a manner peculiarly neat. In America, the dark solitary cane and myrtle swamps of the southern States are the favourite native haunts of this recluse bird; and the more deep and gloomy these are, the more certain is it found flitting among them. Wilson farther describes it as mute both in spring and summer, having only during the breeding season an occasional squeak like a stray chicken *.

The latter circumstance, as well as the manner of nestling, and indeed most of the particulars given of the American and the British birds, under the name of solitary thrush, so little accord, that we are warranted to pronounce them entirely different. The British bird is usually represented as rare; but Mr. Knapp, writing in Gloucestershire, says, it is not an uncommon bird with us, breeding in the holes and hollows of old trees, and hatching early t." Colonel Montagu again says, it frequents mountainous situations, and is always seen alone except in the breeding season, preparing its nest like the starling, in old ruined edifices, church towers, and other similar places; but two nests are never found in the same place: "the young," he adds, “are easily brought up, and repay the trouble by their sweet *Wilson, Amer. Ornith. v. 95.

+ Journ, of a Naturalist, p. 207, 1st edit.

T

native song" The dull cream colour of the throat, marked with large dark brown pointed spots also in the American bird, accord not at all with the pale yellowish brown, mottled with a darker shade, of the bird described by Montagu; nor does its general appearance correspond with the bleak and weatherbeaten appearance of a way-worn traveller, even in its youth, to use the forcible language of Mr. Knapp. The very shape of the birds is different, as may be seen in the figures.

The Solitary Thrushes of England and America, from Wilson and Montagu.

Since both Colonel Montagu and Mr. Knapp speak of their solitary thrush as breeding, it would seem to us, unless they may have been deceived in this, that the opinions of some other naturalists on the subject require further investigation. Speaking of the com*Sup. to Ornith. Dict.

even been proposed to have an act of parliament prohibiting bird-catchers from exercising their art within twenty miles of the metropolis; and also prohibiting wild birds of any kind from being shot or otherwise caught or destroyed within this distance, under certain penalties. It is very clear, however, that such an act could never be carried; and though it might be advantageous to gardens, orchards, and farms, yet the attacks which the same birds make on fruit would probably be an equivalent counterbalance.

In the case of swallows, on the other hand, it has been well remarked by an excellent naturalist, that they are to us quite inoffensive, while "the beneficial services they perform for us, by clearing the air of innumerable insects, ought to render them sacred and secure them from our molestation. Without their friendly aid the atmosphere we live in would scarcely be habitable by man: they feed entirely on insects, which, if not kept under by their means, would swarm and torment us like another Egyptian plague. The immense quantity of flies destroyed in a short space of time by one individual bird is scarcely to be credited by those who have not had actual experience of the fact." He goes on to illustrate this from a swift (Cypselus murarius, TEMMINCK), which was shot. "It was in the breeding season when the young were hatched; at which time the parent birds, it is well known, are in the habit of making little excursions into the country to a considerable distance from their breeding places, for the purpose of collecting flies which they bring home to their infant progeny. On picking up my hapless and ill-gotten. prey, I observed a number of flies, some mutilated, others scarcely injured, crawling out of the bird's mouth; the throat and pouch seemed absolutely stuffed with them, and an incredible number was at length disgorged. I am sure I speak within

compass