Thrush-Blackbird Hybrids. 127 



Thrush-Blachbird Hybrids. 



By Geo. Crabb. 



In a letter to Bird Xotks for August 1917. Hr 

 Hopkinsoii made enquiries about a Thrush-Blackbird HybriJ 

 then in the Small Birds' House at the Zoo, and in Bird Notes 

 for September of same year a very full account of what Mr. j 

 H. Anderson, Darvel, had accomplished up to then in breedin;^" 

 this cross, was g'iven by the Editor of Cage Birds. 



In the same letter Dr. Hopkinson made enquiry about ;; 

 hybrid of same kind shown at the Crystal Palace in February 

 1872. 



This enquiry has promj)ted me to get together the 

 following particulars of exhibits of Thrush-Blackbird or Black 

 bird-Thrush Hybrids. 



(1) I find, through the courtesy of Mr. T. Heath, wIuj 

 has referred to the catalogue, that the Hybrid referred to bv 

 Dr. Hopkinson was exhi1)ited at the Crystal Palace show in 

 February 1872 as Blackbird-Thrush cock, age 16 months, by 

 Mr. A. Skinner, West St., Faversham. and was awarded one 

 of the three prizes. h'rom the particulars given one would 

 suppose that the parents were Blackbird d" -Thrush ? — also, if 

 this supposition is correct one would consequently conclude tha*" 

 the bird was bred by the exhibitor and was not a wild bird reared 

 from the nest, and the age Ijeing stated in months also points t^ 

 the same supposition. Still, the possibility of it being a will 

 bird reared from the nest is possibly not absolutely precluded. 

 I have written to the address given by the exhibitor, but got the 

 reply that no one of the name was known, and that no informa 

 tion could be given about the bird; at which I was not surprised, 

 considering the lapse of time. 



(2) Mr. John Robson informs me that in 1890 Mr. Geo. 

 Hill, of High St., Marylebone (who later went to America") 

 showed at the Crystal Palace a Thrush-Blackbird Hybrid, and 

 was awarded ist prize, but that this bird was afterwards disputed 

 by many, and Mr. Robson thinks it was not shown again any 

 where. He adds, " If it were a genuine specimen it certainly took 

 more after the Blackbird than to the Thrush." 



(3) Mr. Robson also tells me that a Mr. Surman, of 



