FOR CAGES AND A VIARIES. i 



THE BERNACLE GOOSE. See under Geese. 



THE BLACK-BACKED GULLS. See under Gulls. 



THE BLACKBIRD. 



This bird is larger than the Thrush, measuring from 9^ 

 to ioi inches in length, of which the tail- takes up about 

 4 inches. Except when quite young, the- sexes, are easily 

 distinguished from each other, for the male is jet black 

 all over, except his bill and his eyelids, which are bright 

 yellow-orange, and his legs, which are dark slate colour 

 with a brownish tinge. 



The female is rusty-brown and more or less indis- 

 tinctly spotted on the breast, and but for her size bears a 

 considerable likeness to a Melanoid Thrush, for which she 

 is occasionally mistaken, by people whose theoretical is 

 greater than their practical knowledge of the birds. 



While in their nest-plumage the young are much more 

 like their mother than their father, and are even more 

 spotted on the breast than she is. Not long since one 

 was exhibited as a living proof of the cross-pairing of 

 Thrush and Blackbird, as well as of the production of 

 hybrids in a state of nature. The naturalist to whom the 

 supposed prodigy was shown advised patience, and in due 

 course the bird moulted into a very ordinary cock Blackbird. 



The young male Blackbird is decidedly darker than the 

 sisters, but at the same time it is by no means easy to 

 determine which is which, and the selector is quite as 

 liable as not to make a mistake, unless he can boast of a 

 good deal of experience of a practical kind, when it 

 is easy enough. 



Albino Blackbirds are sufficiently common, and would 

 no doubt be still more so, were it not for the cruel and 

 absurd passion for shooting them that possesses so many 

 people. Pied and parti-coloured specimens are also met 



