WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



the sky-blue black-spotted eggs of the thrush, 

 and in the other the mottled eggs of the 

 blackbird. As a matter of fact the nest of the 

 latter is made on the same plan as the thrush's ; 

 mud is a feature of it, but this is not noticeable, 

 for the blackbird has improved on the thrush's 

 plan ; it does not believe in hardened mud as a 

 lining by itself, so it uses it, but adds fine grass 

 on the top, making a soft bottom to the nest 

 for its eggs to rest on, and no one sees the 

 cement which makes the whole thing so strong. 

 As both birds build in the same sort of places, 

 namely bushes and hedges, the question 

 naturally arises why should one have blue 

 eggs with black spots and the other have ones 

 with a greenish-blue ground so closely mottled 

 with grey-brown that the ground can hardly be 

 seen ? Personally, I know of no reason ; both 

 types of colouring seem equally well suited 

 for their surroundings, and the only answer I 

 can make is that it has happened so ! But un- 

 doubtedly markings of any sort make eggs less 

 noticeable. Many of the birds that build their 

 nests in bushes and hedges have blue or bluish- 

 white eggs marked with blotches or streaks, and 

 it seems this sort of colouring is the best for 

 escaping notice. When you look through the 

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