THE BLACKBIRD. 529 
in number. ‘Their song is very low, plaintive, and sweet. They are 
wild and shy, and dash their heads against the bars when:they are 
shut up inacage. ‘Their flesh is appreciated for the table. 
The Merulide genus is characterised by a flattened, curved, and 
slightly denticulated bill, and is one of the most numerous of the 
family, embracing no less than 150 species spread plentifully over 
the whole surface of the globe. 
Birds of this genus are, generally speaking, migratory, and travel 
in more or less numerous flocks. They feed on berries, fruits, and 
insects, and are endowed with harmonious powers of song: ‘They 
Fig. 239.—The Hermit Thrush. 
have been divided into two great sections, the division being based 
upon the particular arrangement of their colours. First, all such as 
have the plumage of a uniform colour; secondly, those whose 
plumage is marked with small dark spots on the breast. 
The principal species of the first section are the Blackbirds and 
the Polyglot Thrush. 
The Common Blackbird (Zurdus merula, Fig. 240) is so called on 
account of the plumage in the male bird, which is of a uniform 
black colour. - It delights in localities covered with groves and 
thickets situated in the vicinity of water. When a sufficiency of food 
is to be found it seldom leaves the district it has frequented. In 
nearly all the countries of the European continent it is to be met 
with the entire year. These birds appear to be more numerous in 
