224* MERULmffi. 



northern counties ; and in Northumberland, Mr. Selby says 

 that "about the beginning of November vast flocks of 

 Blackbirds make their appearance upon our coasts, from 

 more northern countries. They remain but a few days to 

 recruit, and then resume their flight in a south-westerly 

 direction." 



The Blackbird is also found over Scotland. Mr. Selby 

 saw it in Sutherlandshire in June, 1834; and it is re- 

 corded as inhabiting the Hebrides, Orkneys, and Shetland. 



In Sweden, Professor Nilsson says it is common every- 

 where ; and Mr. Hewitson and his party saw it occasion- 

 ally in Norway. From the northern parts of Europe it is 

 spread southward over the whole of the European conti- 

 nent to Italy, Corfu, Sicily, and Malta, and is known to 

 go from thence to North Africa. According to M. Tem- 

 minck, the Blackbird also inhabits the Morea ; and Mr. 

 Charles Darwin saw it as far to the westward as Tercera, 

 one of the Azores. 



The beak and the edges of the eyelids in the adult male 

 are gamboge-yellow : the whole of the plumage black ; 

 under surface of the wings shining greyish black ; the legs 

 and toes brownish black ; claws black. 



The whole length of the bird is about ten inches. The 

 wing, from the carpal joint to the end of the longest pri- 

 mary, four inches and seven-eighths : the first feather very 

 short ; the second not quite so long as the fifth, but longer 

 than the sixth ; the third, fourth, and fifth feathers, equal 

 in length, and the longest in the wing. 



In the female, all the plumage of the upper surface is 

 uniform umber brown ; the chin, throat, and upper part 

 of the breast, reddish yellow brown, with a few darker- 

 coloured spots ; belly, sides, and under tail-coverts, hair- 

 brown. 



The young have the upper parts blackish brown, darker 



