BRITISH SONG-BIRDS. 



When snow-drops die, and the green primrose leaves 

 Announce the coming flower, the merle's note, 

 Mellifluous, rich, deep-toned, fills all the vale, 

 And charms the ravished ear. The hawthorn bush 

 New budded, is his perch ; there the grey dawn 

 He hails ; and there, with parting light, concludes 

 His melody. There, when the buds begin 

 To break, he lays the fibrous roots ; and see. 

 His jetty breast embrowned ; the rounded clay 

 His jetty breast has soiled ; but now complete, 

 His partner and his helper in the work, 

 Happy, assumes possession of her home ; 

 While he, upon a neighbouring tree, his lay, 

 More richly full, melodiously renews. 



Graliame's Birds of Scotland, 



THE BLACKBIRD. 



BLACK OUZEL, OR MERLE. 



TURDUS merula; linn^us. — LE merle; BUFFON. 



This bird, by the Scotch, particularly by their 

 poets, called the merle, is larger than the thrush. 



