200 BLACKBIRD. 



plants, in search of insects. The shells of snails it breaks 

 against any hard spot, in the same way that the Thrush 

 does. In the autumn it frequents turnip-fields in search of 

 insect food. Doubtless, as in so many other similar cases of 

 supposed injury, the evil that it may do is counterbalanced 

 by a proportionate amount of good. It begins its pilfering 

 as soon as it is light, and has a habit when searching for 

 food, of frequently raising and depressing the tail, expanding 

 at the same time the tail feathers: it hops or leaps very 

 quickly along. It swallows a little gravel at times to aid 

 the digestion of its food. It is a hardy species, and is able 

 to bear the severity of most of our winters, but hard weather 

 compels many from their comparative retirement to the farm- 

 yard, and sometimes they will approach quite close to the 

 house, to feed on berries growing against the wall, and to 

 pick up any crumbs placed there for them; one has been 

 known to eat out of the hand while sitting on the nest. 



The following account is given by Mr. Weir to Mr. Mac- 

 gillivray, respecting the number of times in the day which 

 he watched a pair of Blackbirds feed their young, four in 

 number. At a quarter past three in the morning they 

 commenced; from that time until four o'clock, the male fed 

 them only once, and sang almost incessantly, whilst the female 

 fed them six times; from four to five o'clock, the male fed 

 them six times, and the female three times; from five to six 

 o'clock, the male fed them four and the female five times; 

 from six to seven o'clock, the male fed them three, and the 

 female five times; and from seven to eight o'clock, the male 

 fed them three times. For the last four hours he sang most 

 delightfully, except when he was feeding the young birds, and 

 as he had induced one of them to fly out after him, Mr. 

 Weir had to replace it in the nest, which caused some inter- 

 ruption to their feeding. From eight to nine o'clock, the 

 male fed them six, and the female seven times ; and from nine 

 to ten o'clock, the male fed them four, and the female three 

 times; from ten to eleven o'clock, the male fed them three, 

 and the female two times; from eleven to twelve o'clock, the 

 male fed them two, and the female three times; from twelve 

 to one o'clock, the male fed them two, and the female four 

 times; and from one to two o'clock, the male fed them twice, 

 and the female thrice. From two to three o'clock, the female 

 fed them twice; and from three to four o'clock, the male fed 

 them three, and the female four times. From four to five 



