NATURE'S CAROL SINGERS. 



Blackbirds sing principally during the 

 morning and evening, but as a rule do not 

 commence quite as early or go on so late 

 as Throstles. A warm spring shower 

 will, however,, always draw the best and 

 sweetest music from the Merle at what- 

 ever hour of the day it may fall. This 

 species loves to sing from a dead, bare 

 bough, standing well above the sur- 

 rounding foliage, but occasionally holds 

 forth on the wing, and I have heard 

 one sing habitually from a housetop in 

 the Outer Hebrides. 



Although the male Blackbird helps 

 the female to feed their nestlings, this 

 does not put a stop to his vocal efforts. 

 He frequently carols a few notes near the 

 nest directly after he has delivered his 

 catch of worms and grubs, and this fact 

 may, to some extent, account for the 

 chicks commencing to sing three months 

 after they have been hatched. 



Some members of this species will 

 sing off and on as late as the end of July, 

 and commence again as early even as 

 September. 



The Blackbird, when heard at very 

 close quarters, may be discerned to 

 imitate the notes of other species, as I 

 have discovered when lying in hiding 



3 



