P lace and
M anners.
54-
SOLITARY
TH R.
Description.
F emale.
P lace and
M anners.
This bird is found in the ifle of Candia, Dalmatia, and parts
between, moft of the Archipelagic ifles *, and perhaps thofe of the
Mediterranean, lince Edwards mentions its, being found at Gibraltar
5 from whence alfo I have one now in my colledlion.
Lc Solitaire, Brif orn. ii. p. -268. N* 30.
Le Merle Solitaire, Buf. o i j iii. p. 358.
PalTera Solitaria, Olin. uccel. p. 14.
PalTer Solitarius, Rail Syn. p. 66. 4.
Solitary Sparrow, Will. orn. p. 191. t.36» 37.
jLev. Muf.
T E S S than a Blackbird: length eight or nine inches. Bill
brown, and bent at the tip : infide of the mouth yellow:
irides orange: the general colour of the plumage brown, marked
with fmall whitilh fpots: the fides of the head, throat, neck,
breaft, and upper wing coverts, have a tinge of blue : rump, and
under tail coverts, plain brown, as are the quills : the tail black-
ilh : legs brown.
The female, is brown, without the leaft tinge of blue ; and the
fpots, which are moll numerous on the breaft, are of a dirty yel-
lowilh colour : quills and tail brown.
This is frequent in France, Italy, the ifles of the Mediterranean
and Archipelago, and other parts ; where it is not only
efteemed for its fong, but held in veneration by moft people, fo
as to think it almoft facrilege to take the neft, or kill the
bird.
It frequents mountainous and rocky places, and is always
* Kolben mentions a blue bird at the Cape of Good Hope, which is of the fize (if
a Starling; but the bill, according to him, is between three and four inches in
length. I fhould therefore hefitate to pronounce this our Blue Thrujb; Teeming
more allied to our Black-capped King-Fijher, i .p . 624. See Hjl. Cap.
feen alone, except in breeding - time, when it frequently is
known to make the neft ii in old ruined edifices, church-
towers, and fuch-like places, (but not two pair near each
other) laying five or fix eggs. The young are eafily brought
up, and, befides that fweet fong which nature has furniihed them
with, and for which they are fo much efteemed, may be taught
to whittle, and articulate words. They are faid not only to fing
in the day, when kept in a cage, but alfo by candle-light, and to
live in this ftate eight or ten years.
The food confifts of infeSs, grapes, and other fruits.
It is not ftriiftly a bird of paffage ; but is obferved to change
place in different feafons j coming into thofe parts where it is;
ufed .to build, in April, and retiring in Auguft.
Le Solitaire de Manille, Brif. orn. ii, p. 270. N° 31. pi. 33. f - 2-
Le Merle Solitaire de Manille, Buf. oif. iii. p.363.— Pl. enI. 636. (the male).
— 564. 2. (the female),
Q I Z E of the Rock Shrike : length eight inches. Bill one
^ inch j colour of it brown : the head, fore part of the neck,
and the back, are cinereous blue : the rump blue : fpotted with;
yellow on the throat, fore part bf the neck, and upper part of the
breaft : wing coverts fpotted with the fame, but not fo thick, and
mixed likewife with other -white fpots : the under parts of the
body are orange, marked with blue and white curved fpots : the
quills and .tail are blackilh, the laft margined with rufous . the.
legs ate blackilh.
The female is a plain bird, if compared with the male 3 has
neither blue nor orange about her, being wholly of a brownilh
colour,, with fpots of deeper brown on the head, neck, and under
parts,, which are paler than thofe above;
This. w.as brought from Manilla, by M. Sonnerat..
PENSIVE
THR.
D e s c r i p t io n .
Female..