BLACK THRUSH, OR BLACKBIRD. 93 



male is now no more heard in tuneful glee, unless a second 

 brood should force the amorous song again,"* If these state- 

 ments are correct, it will be seen from the following observa- 

 tions that in some of their habits, the Blackbirds in England 

 differ from those in this neighbourhood. 



" On Saturday morning the 10th of June 1837, at half-past 

 2 o'clock, I went into a house made of the branches of trees to 

 watch the Blackbirds whilst they were feeding their brood. It 

 was within nine feet of their nest, which was built in the hole 

 of an old wall. It is a situation for which they and the thrushes 

 seem to have had a strong predilection, for it has been occupied 

 by one or other of them for a number of years successively. 

 The morning was so cold, with a heavy rain and a strong breeze 

 from the east, that I was obliged to wrap myself up in a warm 

 cloak and a Mackintosh waterproof. 



" At a quarter past three o'clock in the morning they began 

 to feed their young, which were four in number. From that 

 time until four o'clock the male fed them only once, and sang 

 almost incessantly, whilst the female fed them six times. From 

 four to five o'clock the male fed them six, and the female three 

 times ; from five to six o'clock the male fed them four, and 

 the female five times ; from six to seven o'clock the male fed 

 them three, and the female five times ; and from seven to eight 

 o'clock the male fed them three times. For the last four hours 

 he sang most delightfully, except when he was feeding his 

 tender offspring. As he had induced one of them to fly out after 

 him, I was under the necessity of fixing it into its nest, and 

 this caused some interruption to their feeding. From eight to 

 nine o'clock the male fed them six, and the female seven times ; 

 and from nine to ten o'clock the male fed them four, and the 

 female three times. In keeping both the inside and outside of 

 their nest clean they are very particular. A dropping of one of 

 the young birds having fallen to the ground, the male immedi- 

 ately carried it off to some distance, in order, no doubt, to pre- 

 vent suspicion. From ten to eleven o'clock the male fed them 

 three, and the female two times ; from eleven to twelve o'clock 

 the male fed them two, and the female three times ; from twelve 

 to one o'clock the male fed them two, and the female four times ; 



