THE BLACKBIRD. 19 



Family TURDIDsK. Subfamily TURDINsE. 



THE BLACKBIRD. 



Turdiis meru/a, 



THIS handsome Thrush is generally distributed over nearly every country of 

 Europe and North Africa. In Norway at about 67 N. lat. it appears to 

 reach its highest breeding range ; it also occurs in Asia Minor, Palestine, Persia, 

 Turkestan, Afghanistan and Cashmere, being somewhat larger in the three last 

 mentioned countries, and, on that account distinguished by Mr. Seebohm as a 

 race to which he has given the name of Mem la maxima. In Great Britain it is 

 generally distributed and partially resident, but in the Shetland Islands it occurs 

 only in the winter ; and, in the Hebrides its appearance is irregular, although on 

 some of them it is recognized as a rare resident. In the southern counties in 

 winter its numbers are largely increased by immigrants from the north. 



The adult male is entirely glossy black in phimage ; the bill in young birds 

 golden ochreous, gradually becoming deep orange with age, feet brownish black, 

 iris hazel, edges of eyelids golden yellow. The adult female, when young, is deep 

 brown ; somewhat rufous on the throat and breast, which are streaked with smoky 

 black ; the bill brown : as the bird grows older, the gape becomes more or less 

 edged with ochre yellow, the black throat- streaks become more pronounced 

 and the chin sometimes becomes whitish. In the nestling birds most of the 

 feathers have pale shaft-streaks, and those of the upper parts have dark tips ; 

 whilst those of the under parts have dark bars ; in other respects they resemble 

 young hen birds : young males are said to be slightly more dusky than females ; 

 but if such a difference exists, I never could satisfy myself of the fact in the case 

 of the young birds which, from time to time, I have hand-reared : the more 

 active and pugnacious disposition and narrower crown would be far better guides 

 in the selection of cock nestlings. 



Talking of pugnacity, it is pre-eminently a characteristic of the Blackbird, 

 and especially at the pairing season : the Song- Thrush is combative enough, but 

 the Blackbird will fight to the bitter end. I remember, on one occasion when in 

 my garden, hearing a violent rustling and napping of wings and supposing that 

 some unfortunate Thrush or Blackbird had been seized by a cat, I slipped up as 



