OBSERVATIONS ON" A PAIR OF BLACKBIRPS. 203 



gardens than in the scorched hedgerows of the country ; 

 while in the winter season the evergreens in the shrubberies 

 form a protection from the wind, and the bacon rinds and 

 bread crumbs show a decided advantage over the famine 

 which prevails in rural districts. 



I must now introduce my characters. In accordance with 

 the rules of polite society, I shall take the hen bird first, 

 and simply state that she is quite an ordinary specimen of 

 turclus mej'ida^ and is of course brown, and not jet black 

 like her mate. The cock bird is however distinguished 

 from the rest of his species, and is I believe quite a public 

 character in Clifton ; he is none other than the white-headed 

 blackbird probably known to many of you by sight. The 

 sides of his head are pure white, and he has besides white 

 spots near the base of the tail. White and pied specimens 

 occur not infrequently, and in a district near Paris they are 

 numerous, the title to a certain estate being kept up by the 

 annual presentation of a white blackbird to the lord of the 

 manor. This phenomenon is known to science by the name 

 of "albinism." In the Museum of Natural History, South 

 Kensington, will be found a case quite filled by albinos, a 

 white kangaroo, a white jackdaw, a white sparrow, and 

 many other creatures who, for some obscure reason, were not 

 able to supply colouring matter for their feathers or hair, 

 and in consequence could not grow coloured coverings like 

 the rest of their kind. 



Besides natural albinism there is artificial albinism. 

 When from any cause the lower cells of the skin which 

 contain the pigment are destroyed, they are never replaced ; 

 and though the external layers of the skin which produce 

 the hair are renewed, they, being deprived of the colouring 

 matter, are white. This explains the white spots so fre- 

 quently to be seen on a horse's back; the harness in time 



