22 



The Blackbird. 



In the winter of 1894-5 a bird was caught in one of ni}' traps which I firmly 

 believe was a hybrid Thrush-Blackbird : when first captured it was verj- dirt}', 

 and I then supposed it to be an old hen Blackbird ; but, after a good wash, its 

 true colouring came out clearly ; the whole upper parts being deep smoky brown, 

 the cliin and throat white streaked with dull black ; the breast, in certain lights, 

 showing traces of the true Song-Thrush spotting ; the ])ill deep orange with the 

 basal half of the culmen black ; feet yellowish horn-brown. 



This bird, of which Mr. Frohawk made 

 a careful sketch, became ver}' tame in a few 

 weeks and I should certainly have kept it 

 up to the present lime, had not a friend, 

 who had given much attention to British 

 cage-birds, visited me and asked me wh}- I 

 was keeping a hen Blackbird. I pointed out 

 the orange bill, the extent of white on the 

 throat, the heavy black streaking and ill- 

 defined breast spots, and he admitted that 

 he had never seen a similar hen Blackbird. 

 Unfortunately I wanted the cage, in which 

 I had kept this supposed hybrid, for nn- 

 Mocking-bird (which I found too tj-ranuical for an aviarj') therefore I gave 

 the Thrush its libert}' : but, on the following da}', one of my neighbours was 

 walking round my garden, when a bird in an adjoining plot began to sing a 

 most marvellous song, whicl: my neighbour cliaracterized as neither like that of 

 Blackbird or Song Thrush, but a combination of both. I have no doubt, as I 

 told liim, that my recently liberated bird was the singer. 



The song of the Blackbird is quite unlike that of any other British Thrush, 

 clear, mellow and melodious, it is one of the finest productions of our feathered 

 choir : it however varies wonderfully in merit in different individuals, and no two 

 Blackbirds sing precisely alike. The finest singers are rarely heard, their per- 

 formance is continuous, flowing, ever changing, somewhat reminding one of the 

 Blackcap's song ; most Blackbirds, however, sing set phrases, more or less 

 plaintive but always vigorous in character. 



Frequently, in the middle of its song, a Blackbird stops abruptly and 

 ridicules its own performances, singing over the last phrase in a minor key and 

 following it up with derisive caricatures ending in meaningless squeaks : some- 

 times it pauses abruptly and (perhaps for five or ten minutes) repeats, at 

 intervals its dismal car-splitting call note — a shrill reedy /stii ; or it will break off" 



