6o THE BLACKBIRD. 



one who had been taught to whistle an air, which, 

 on hearing played with variations on the piano, af- 

 fronted him so exceedingly that he hissed and flut- 

 tered his wings till the performance stopped, and 

 then gave his version of the air, whistling it all 

 through as he had learned it. The same bird fell 

 into the hands of a lady whose custom it was to 

 have the Evening Hymn sung at the conclusion of 

 family prayers. He caught the tune, and always 

 accompanied their voices, and from that time regu- 

 larly whistled it every evening at the same hour, 

 long after he had passed into another family, and 

 continued the practice for the remainder of his life. 

 The blackbird will also learn to imitate the songs of 

 other birds, the crowing of a cock, the gobble of a 

 turkey, and in his wild state will often mimic them. 



He is very fond of bathing, and may have a good 

 deep bath daily in the sunshine ; but his cage should 

 not be left wet, as he is subject to cramp like the 

 thrush : there should be plenty of dry sand or 

 gravel on the floor. 



He will live in captivity from tw^elve to sixteen 

 years, and sing in a loud and joyous tone the whole 

 year, except during the moulting season. 



When in a wild state, this bird sings only three 

 months in the year ; when caged, nearly throughout 

 the year. His food and treatment are the same as 

 for the mocking-bird. 



