68 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



its egg is said to be much like that of the Black- 

 bird. 



BLACKBIRD, Turdus merula. The Blackbird (in 

 these parts invariably called the " Colley"), like the 

 Thrush, is much admired for its song, and equally, 

 if not more, persecuted by the gardener for its fruit- 

 eating propensities. Like the Thrush, too, it is an 

 early nester, and generally chooses much the same 

 sort of place for its nest, which is made of much the 

 same materials and lined with fine bents. 



This is another of the birds which appear in 

 M. Prevost's list, a perusal of which would con- 

 vince, I think, even a gardener, that the Blackbird 

 does him at least as much good as harm. It is as 

 follows : " January, seeds, spiders and chrysalids ; 

 February, the same ; March, worms, buds of trees 

 and grubs ; April, insects, worms and grubs ; May, 

 cockchaffers and worms ; June, worms, grubs and 

 fruit; July, all sorts of insects, worms and fruit; 

 August, the same ; September, the same ; October, 

 worms, chrysalids and grubs of butterflies ; No- 

 vember, seeds, corn and chrysalids ; December, the 

 same." In this list, though the words "fruit" and 

 "buds" appear, it is only for a short time in the 

 year that the Blackbird can regale himself upon 

 these luxuries, and throughout every month mis- 

 chievous grubs and insects form the staple portion 

 of his food. If the amount of damage which would 

 be done by these were calculated, the Blackbird 



