THE BLACKBIRD. 57 



preached the sitting bird either glides silently off, or 

 remains silent and motionless, very often until touched 

 by the hand ere it quits the nest. The call note in the 

 nesting season of the male Blackbird resembles the call 

 note of the Robin, and is indescribably plaintive and 

 beautiful. The young birds are fed on worms, snails, 

 grubs, and insects, and the parent birds tend them but 

 a short time indeed after they quit the nest. Not unfre- 

 quently two broods are reared in the year. 



Though the Blackbird frequents the hedgerows in 

 summer, still he abandons them long before the autumnal 

 blasts strip them of their verdure. Exceptions are found 

 to this, but only where the hedges are unusually dense, 

 and sunken fences occur. The Blackbird then retires to 

 the neighbouring shrubberies, and woods studded with 

 evergreens, where he remains in seclusion during the 

 moulting season. His habits, however, you will find at 

 all times shy and retiring. A skulking bird, he is with 

 difficulty flushed, and if in open places, the least alarm 

 sends him hurriedly off into the cover, from which he 

 seldom strays far away. 



The Blackbird, with me at least, is a partially mi- 

 gratory species. His numbers decrease after the au- 

 tumnal moult, and go on decreasing, until in November 

 his presence is only represented by one or two solitary 

 birds. He returns in the same mysterious manner, and 

 early in February again appears in his wonted numbers. 



