5 6 Bird-keep ing. 



down like a penthouse. The perches should be square, 

 and made of painted deal or mahogany. The food 

 should be placed in deep white delf pans, fitting into 

 wooden boxes outside the cage. The Blackbird 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 : he 

 must have plenty of dry sand or gravel on the floor of 

 it. Another common ailment of the Blackbird is an 

 obstruction of the oil-gland above the tail. If this is 

 shown by the bird's drooping his tail and continually 

 pecking at the gland, it should be anointed with fresh 

 butter and sugar. A little variety in his food will 

 keep him in good health for many years. Bechstein 

 says he will live in captivity from twelve to sixteen 

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

 year, except during the moulting season. A tame 

 bird, brought up from the nest, used to wake his mis- 

 tress every morning at dawn of day with his song, and 

 he would fly out of his cage, sit on her pillow, and 

 sing ; and if she did not open her eyes at once, he 

 stopped, pecked gently at her eyelids, and when she 

 looked up at him, sang on again with quivering throat 

 and drooping wings, in the greatest delight. This 

 was a little Welsh Blackbird, called by the country 

 people pig-fclyn (yellow-beak). It is called, in some 

 parts of England, Black Thrush, Garden and Black 

 Ouzel, and its old name of Merle, as well as the scien- 



