THE EUROPEAN BLACKBIRD. 



the Blackbird heard to whistle so well. AVould it not be well, then, to have a cage 

 arranged with a sprinkler attachment, so, when the Blackbird alighted on his perch, 

 the flood would pour down upon him ? 



In addition to his qualities as a songster, he forms a favorite dish for epicures ; 

 and Blackbird on toast, or within a crust, is as well known and delightful to some 

 admirers as his charming song and playful ways are to others. He seems to have 

 been a special favorite in olden times, when the rage for dainties in the shape of 

 fricasseed birds' brains and tongues was at its height. It is said, that, when this 

 absurd mania was in full sway in Italy, the Blackbirds were fed on grapes and other 

 rich fruits, so that their delicious flesh was still more delicately flavored. The 

 Blackbird, when caged, is a very neat and attractive-looking fellow ; and, without 

 laying claim to gaudy plumage, his two simple, striking colors and trim shape give 

 him a very " dressy " appearance. 



He is a hardy bird, as his early life spent in the fields through winter and sum- 

 mer tends to make him so. AVhen caged, this training is at all times apparent ; and. 

 like the mischievous boy, he is never so much at home as when outdoors. Hang 

 your Blackbird outdoors, and he will quickly make himself heard throughout the 

 house as well as up and down the street. Like the Thrush, he is capable of enduring 

 all sorts of weather : and if the careless owner forgets to cover the cage to protect 

 him from the driving storm, or leaves him hanging outdoors all night, it does not 

 appear to affect him ; the next day he will sing as well as ever, and look his master 

 in the eye with a don't-do-it-again expression. He is an especial favorite with the 

 English bird-lovers, and his homely wicker cage may be observed hanging beneath 

 the window-sills of dozens of houses throughout all quarters of the larger cities. 

 He appears to bear the same relation to the class of larger birds in England that 

 the Mocking-bird bears to the American birds. His powers of mimicry, although 

 not as great as those of the Mocking-bird, are very well developed. He will inter- 

 mix with his song the Rooster's crow and the Hen's cackle ; and it is even said that 

 he can successfully imitate the dog's bark, although this seems to be somewhat out 

 of his line. The Blackbirds which have been reared by hand from the nest are the 

 only ones capable of performing these imitations ; as their early associations were 

 away from the old birds, and where they were deprived of hearing the natural song. 

 If taken from the nest before they are able to fly, and carefully reared, the training 

 may be developed into remarkable results. In training the Blackbird to pipe a song, 

 proceed in the same manner as indicated for the Bullfinch ; the natural whistle being 

 the better wa} 7 , although his strong, melodious voice is well fitted to copy exactly the 

 notes of a flute. In Germany and England shoemakers and artisans who have to 

 perform their labors at home, oftentimes while away a weary hour, and add profit to 

 their industry, by teaching a young Blackbird to perform some galop or air from a 

 comic opera. The Blackbird, unlike the Starling, does not mix in any harsh, guttural 

 notes with his operas ; as his own natural notes are of an entirely different nature 

 from the Starling's. If he performs the song which has been taught him, and adds 

 a few of his own notes as a finishing touch, the effect is all the more pleasing, and 

 takes away the unpleasant feeling of hearing a too oft repeated good story. Black- 

 birds have been taught to pipe many of the airs which appear in the list of Bullfinch 

 music. The Blackbird's voice bears no comparison to the Bullfinch's. The dreamy. 



