The Blackbird. 23 



into its nois}' go-to-roost rattle — " Chink, c/uuk, chink, chink, cliink ; chacka, chack- 

 a-rack, cliack, chack, chack, cliack ; chuck, chuck, chuck." Passing tlirough shrubberies 

 at twilight, this good-night greeting may be heard on all sides ; sometimes a 

 little varied, but usually commencing with "chink" and terminating with 

 " chuck " : at dawn it frequentl}' leaves out the harsh " chack." 



The flight of the Blackbird is usually very direct, it ma}' be seen passing 

 over garden after garden with steady regular beat of wing, until perchance it 

 nears some favourite tree, when its course is almost imperceptibly changed to an 

 upward slant which lands it on its chosen branch ; when suddenly flushed from 

 the nest, the flight is usually direct at first, but with a rapid swerving to right 

 or left and a return to roost in some neighbouring cover. When it alights, 

 the Blackbird throws its tail up almost at right angles to the body, stretches the 

 neck and holds its legs wide apart ; this gives it a wonderfully alert and 

 attentive aspect. In this respect it somewhat resembles Magpies, or Jays of the 

 genus Cyaiiocorax, which always throw up the tail w^hen they alight, but assume 

 the attitude of attention as this appendage drops back to its ordinary level. 



Although usually a very skulking bird, seeking its food mostly under hedge- 

 rows, in ditches, or among shrubs and bushes ; when it has young to feed the 

 Blackbird may often be seen among Starlings and Thrushes upon our lawns, busily 

 engaged in the pursuit of worms. In fields of turnip or cabbage it may also be 

 seen seeking for worms and caterpillars ; for the common garden snail and slugs 

 the Blackbird seems to care less than does the Song-Thrush, but the prettily 

 banded hedge-snails it delights in : like all insectivorous birds, its favourite morsels 

 are spiders, insects and their grubs. Mr. Frohawk tells me that, in the late 

 autumn, he has watched a Blackbird slowly hopping down a garden path and 

 carefully turning over every fallen leaf in its search for insect food. Unfortunately 

 for the Blackbird's peace of mind, it is not exclusively insectivorous ; it is also 

 to some extent graminivorous and largely frugivorous, being especially fond of 

 strawberries, in pursuit of which it often loses its life at the hands of the short- 

 sighted fruit-grower ; it also devours a good many currants, gooseberries, cherries, 

 and peas in their season, whilst the raspberry, blackberry and sloe are not 

 despised. Late in autumn when the more pleasant fruits are becoming scarce, the 

 Blackbird turns its attention to hips and haws, as well as the berries of the ivy 

 and mistletoe. 



Upon the earth the Blackbird proceeds by a series of hops, then a pause at 

 attention and on again : in its actions it strongly reminds one of the Robin ; but 

 it does not appear, like our little Christmas favourite, to suffer from chronic 

 epilepsy, fidgets, St. \'itus's dance, or whatever it is which makes the latter give 



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