o/- 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



mottled with dnrk t ippiiifjis to the ti:illirrs 

 similar to tliu 'riinisli. but much (l''u--rr- at the 

 sides of breast. runuiuL; down ou to Ihe naid<s. 

 The abdomen aud uuchi- lail-idxcrls are 

 Krcyish-Nvhite. The female dilTers slif^hlly froui 

 the male, being rather smaller and slitihter: the 

 upper part of the bill is darker, the back less 

 clear in colour. Ihe breast pah-i- and I he luarkiuK 

 less dcfineil. 



The Fieldfare is a charming; bird either in 

 cage or aviary, and though somewhal restless, 

 it is not quarrelsome. The exhibition ])roperties 

 are good size, rich colour, well-delined markings, 

 perfect plumage, feet, toes, anti steadiness. 

 Its living- and show-cages should he (luite as 

 large as those of the Missel Thrush, and with a 

 similar arrangement of vessels, etc. .\s with 

 others of the Thrush family the caged l-"ield- 

 farc should not be ke]>t in an overheated rcjoni. 

 The Thrush bill of fare is most suitable, bid a 

 liberal supply o\ beriies whenever procurable 

 should not he forgotten, and free access to the 

 bath should he secured. 



A cock Ijlackbird, Turdus nirniln (Linn.), as 

 its name denotes, is jet-black over Ihe whole 

 (if ils bodV; win;'> and tail. The 



The 

 Blackbird. 



bill, which is an inch long, is of a 

 brilliant orange, showing markedly 

 againsl ils sable |)lumage : the eyelids or cere 

 are also of the same brilliaid yellow, surrounding 

 a bright full dark bi-own eye. The feel and 

 claws are a \er\' dark brown or black. In 

 length this bird is aljoul ID inches. The tail is 

 long and slightly rounded. Birds in I heir wild 

 state lose some of Ihe brilliancy of bill and 

 eye-ceres in winter. The ti'Uiah' dilTers coii- 

 siderablv fi'om Ihe male. She is darkisli brown 

 (111 the head, neck and back. Inning Ihe throat 

 and breasl a light rust-colour, Ihe abdomen a 

 paler bi'own. The bill is brownish-yellow, some- 

 limes with age hei-omiiig (|uite yellow. Cock 

 birds in captivity improxe in appearance ea<h 

 1,-eai' wilh age so long as lhe\' keep in good 

 heaUh. The young are (pnte easiU hand reared. 

 in the same maimer and on I he same food as Ihe 

 young Song Thrushes. When Hedged llie\- are 

 blackish-brown on the upper pails, each teal her 

 being streaked wilh reddish-brown in llu-cenire; 

 the under |iarls are a liglil rt'ddish ludwii. I ipjied 

 wilh dark spots, which are clearer in the males. 

 When in the nest Ihe sexes of Ihe ><ning may 

 be distinguished b> I lie males having blackish- 

 brown wings and tails. Ihe female's being a 

 lighU'r brown. When at liberl\ in ils wild stale 

 this bird is of a sh\- and restless disposition, 

 and (piickly ilelei-ls Ihe a]iproach of strangers. 

 It freciuents hedgerows, fiir/.e, and co]>ses, and 

 may be found in thick shniliberies. II has a 

 peculiar habit, when disturbed, of lying close 



unlil Ihe inlerruplion is past, when it will 

 suddenly rise with a frightened screaming 

 cackling noise, darting off to take refuge in the 

 nearest available thicket. The food of the 

 Hiackbird at liberty consists chietly of worms, 

 slugs, caterpillars, beetles, and similar insects ; 

 it is also fond <d' fiuil and berries, accordlnj; to 

 Ihe season of the year. It is particularly 

 destructive amongst cherries, strawberries, 

 currants, gooseberries, apples, and jiears ; the 

 blackberry, too, furnishes the Blackbird with 

 many a meal. 



Blackbirds pair and breed early in the spring. 

 Their nest is composed of coarse roots and 

 grasses wilh the mud still adhering, which form 

 a strong faliric, moss and deatl leaves being 

 interwoven wilh it at times. Over the mud 

 is an inner lining of line grasses, forming a 

 smooth bed tor the eggs. It may be found in 

 a variety of situations, as the builders are very 

 erratic in their choice ; a hedgerow bordering 



a copse or w I ajipears to be a fa\ciurite 



position, but tluy will sometimes build on the 

 stump of a tree, or in a slender fork against the 

 trunk, or vwn on the ground. The eggs are 

 also veiy erratic in their colouring, there being 

 seldom two nests alike. The ordinary colour 

 is a liglU greenish-blue, s]ieckled and streaked 

 with pale reddish-brown, sometimes gathered in 

 a ring towards Ihe larger end, the rest of the egg 

 being faintly covered, or else distributed in an 

 irregular manner o\er Ihe whole. They are 

 generally four or li\e in number. Ihoii^h we 

 ha\c foiiml many coiil aiiiiiit; six e.ugs. Though 

 such a shy bird when al libcrl\ he ada|ils him- 

 self (piickly to cage life, ami when reared by 

 hand fi-oiii Ihe iiesl. Ihe Blackbird is capable 

 of foiaiiing slidiig al lachmeiils. and. frinu his 

 W(ni(lcrfiil iuiilati\e (lowers, will make himself 

 a great favourite. He will, if trained wlien 

 young, learn to whistle ainiosi aii> liiiie I hat 

 iiia\ be laught him, if played over lo him daily 

 unlil he is prohcieiit. The melody of his wild 

 song is not surpassed by any of I lie Thrush 

 tribe, lie .also makes a charming exhibition 

 biiil. hand reared speciiiieiis being i>referable. 

 This bird reipiires ([iiile as large a cage to live 

 in as the I'ieldfare. and of the box iiattern if 

 \(iii wish lo keep his iilijinage |)erfecl. The same 

 fooil as recommended for Ihe Song Thrush, with 

 a more liberal supply of fruit, of which Blackbirds 

 are particularly bmd, not forget ling insects, 

 snails, worms, and oilur grubs, and Ihe bath. 

 The Blackbird's exhiiiition iiroperties are .good 

 size and shape, rich jet-black body, colour 

 carrving a nice lustre, beak and eyc-cerc a rich 

 orange, perfect l)luiiiage, feet and toes, also 

 jierfeet steadiness. .\ show-cage similar to Ihe 

 Missel Thrush answers well, let ting Ihe colour 



