I 



LONDON'S FEATHERED FOLK 199 



Blackbird, with, his jet-black plumage, glistening 

 eyes, long legs, and brilliant yellow bill, would do 

 infinite credit if turned out of a box by Day and 

 Martin! The female is more like a dark-coloured 

 Thrush, and although on occasions the male takes 

 his turn at sitting upon the egg-treasures, it is the 

 female who mostly performs the important task 

 of incubation. 



The lyrics of the Song Thrush, and the less 

 beautiful but stronger notes of the Mistle Thrush, 

 often hold the townsman spellbound, especially in 

 the Springtime, when bird-music is heard at its 

 best. I always regard the nest of the Song Thrush 

 as a remarkable example of bird-architecture. 

 Whilst not nearly so elegant or tidy as the mossy 

 cradle of the Chaffinch, or the lichen-covered nest 

 of the Long-tailed Tit, the Thrush's homestead is 

 a strong, substantially-built structure, well cal- 

 culated to withstand the rigours of our English 

 climate. The nest is deep, and it is plastered 

 inside with mud and rotten wood. This is a char- 

 acteristic difference between the nests of this bird 

 and the Blackbird. The eggs are an unpaintable 

 light blue, spotted or blotched with dark brown or 

 black. 



Young birds, when in the nest, are bad sitters 

 for their portraits, as a rule, and it is difficult for a 

 layman, when looking at a nest full of young birds, 

 or a photograph of them, to realise exactly how 



