BIRDS FINCHES DIAGRAM 4 75 



of a branch. It fastens it in its place with grass, and also with 

 any pieces of cord, string, or ribbon, which it can find. It is 

 extremely rare in England, though very common in Southern 

 Europe. The blackbird has the reputation of being cunning, 

 and the bird-catchers have some difficulty in taking it. The 

 male is black, with yellow beak ; the female is brown above, and 

 varied with grey and reddish brown on the throat. During the 

 niie season, it is not uncommon to see blackbirds frequenting 

 gardens even in the middle of towns. They eat both fruit and 

 insects. The nest is very rapidly constructed, sometimes in less 

 than a week, in bushes or low trees. It is made of moss and 

 mud outside, and of 'dried grass inside. The female lays from 

 four to six eggs. The young ones eat nothing but insects when 

 they are very young ; afterwards they like pulpy fruits, such as 



grapes, rotten apples, or juniper 

 berries. The thrush, is brown 

 above, and yellowish, spotted with 

 black beneath. It sings better than 

 the blackbird, and is therefore more 

 Head of Thrush valued by bird-catchers. 



Warblers. The family of warblers includes the warblers, the 

 nightingales, the skylarks, the robins, the titmice, the redstarts, 

 and lastly the wrens, which are the smallest of 

 our native birds. The majority feed on insects, 

 and many eat nothing else, such as the 

 nightingales, which must be fed, even in 

 captivity, with worms. When the nightingale 

 is at liberty, he sings all the time the female is 

 sitting, as if to amuse her. Among the warblers, the reed 

 warbler generally fastens its nest to some reeds a little above the 

 water. The skylarks have also a joyous song, which is best to 

 be heard when they are flying straight up into the air. The 

 titmice are scarcely larger than the wrens. They are lively 

 little birds, active, and courageous, and destroy a great number 

 of insects. They attack wasps and bees, and can seize them 



