Page:The Illustrated Book of Canaries and Cage-Birds, British and Foreign.Djvu/353

Rh five eggs of a light greenish-blue colour, with a few black spots at the larger end. Its food when wild consists of snails, worms, insects, and, in summer, fruit; in winter it also feeds upon berries. It is particularly destructive in the gardens during the fruit season, no doubt thinking itself entitled to some remuneration for having destroyed so many insect pests. It is extremely interesting to watch with what patience and perseverance Thrushes will search the wall fruit-trees, notably the apricot, when in quest of their favourite snails, which they are also especially dexterous in extracting from their shells. When a Thrush has found a snail it generally resorts to a large stone, where, taking the snail in its beak, it dashes it with considerable force against the stone, thus breaking the shell and obtaining the cherished morsel.

The cage for a Thrush should be large. The dimensions of an ordinary-sized one are—height eighteen inches, width seventeen inches, and depth twelve inches. It should have a

wooden cottage-roof and wooden back; wooden bars an inch apart are far preferable to wire; the perches should be placed from front to back, one in the centre of the cage and one other on either side near the feeding and drinking troughs, so as to obviate any necessity for the bird standing on the floor to feed. The cage must be kept dry; but supply the birds with plenty of water, both for drinking and bathing; a little gravel or sand should be sprinkled over the floor of the cage.

The best food is a mixture composed of ground oats ("fig-dust") made into a stiff dough with equal quantities of milk and water, though milk is not absolutely necessary. Two or three times a week it is advisable to add a pinch of soaked grocer's currants or a small quantity of finely-shredded raw lean beef; or some sopped bread, the crust being preferable, may be given. Of course its own natural food will always be acceptable, and a snail will be esteemed a great delicacy; not forgetting, however, with the latter treat, to also provide a stone whereon the bird may break the shell.

When wild, Thrushes will have as many as three broods during their breeding season which oftentimes extends from April until July, and though they will not breed in cages, have been known to breed freely in an aviary if supplied with the necessary materials