84 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



example of the latter kind was shot in a garden on 

 Bracondale, near this city, in November, 1856, having 

 the head and neck with portions of the wings and tail 

 pure white, and being an old male, the deep black of 

 the other parts, mottled with white, had a very showy 

 appearance; the legs were black, with the toes and 

 claws flesh colour. I have also in my possession a 

 specimen killed at Shottesham, in November, 1863, 

 which, with the exception of one black feather in each 

 wing, exhibits the strange anomaly of a pure white 

 blackbird. In the spring of 1852 I was shown a 

 nest of this species, which had been built so close to 

 that of a thrush on the same bank that the materials 

 of both nests were completely interwoven, and remained 

 so when removed from the spot. Mr. St. John alludes 

 to the great increase of blackbirds in Moray owing to 

 the destruction of hawks for the preservation of game, 

 the sparrow hawk especially being a determined foe ; and 

 in this county the abundance of both blackbirds'* and 

 thrushes may be attributed, in a great degree, to the 

 same cause, since not only are their natural enemies 

 destroyed, but our strictly preserved coverts afford them 

 immunity from all bird-nesting boys, no intruders being 

 allowed during the breeding season for fear of disturbing 

 the sitting pheasants. 



TUEDUS TORQUATUS, 



OUZEL. 



A regular migratory visitant, though, for the most 



* The following entry in the L'Estrange "Household Book" 

 refers, no doubt, to this species, although the association of black- 

 birds and woodcocks is somewhat singular : " It pd to Stephyn 

 Percy for ij woodcocks and iiij blackbyrds iiij d - " A preceding 

 entry shows also the small sum given in those times for what is 

 now reckoned the greatest delicacy in the way of game" It pd 

 to John Long of Ingaldesthorpe for vj woodcocks x d - " 



