BRITISH BIRDS. 65 



the number of Blackbirds, which formerly were highly esteemed. In ' The 

 Ibis,' new series, vol. v. 1869, p. 358, Mr. W. Boyd Dawkins says, regarding 

 Pheasants : — " The bill of fare drawn up by Harold for the Canons' house- 

 holds of from six to seven persons, a.d. 1059, and preserved in a manuscript 

 of the date of circa 1177*, was as follows (p. 16) :— ' Erant autem tales 

 pitantise unicuique canonico : a festo Sancti Michaelis usque ad caput jejunii 

 [Ash-Wednesday] aut xii merulae, aut ii agausete \_Agace, a magpie (.?) 

 Ducange] aut ii perdices, aut unus phasianus, reliquis temporibus aut anc« 

 [Geese ; Ducange] aut galliuce." Harold only allows xii Blackbirds (!) 

 among seven people. It would appear from this that the Blackbird was not 

 plentiful. 



Mem. Saw to-day (May 22, 1871) a Blackbird's egg in spirit, having 

 two well-formed and distinct young ones in it. Severe frost is very 

 destructive to Blackbirds ; if not too hard, they shelter themselves in ditches. 

 In 1407 dreadful frosts took place, and all the small birds perished. 



The ' History of Sign-boards,' by Hotten and Larwood, p. 202, quotes 

 the following stanza, " which Allan Ramsay gives as a favourite old Scotch 

 song." "The black boy," it appears, was a nickname for Charles II. 



" Once in fair England my black bird did floiu-ish ; 

 He was the chief black bird that in it did spring : 

 Prime ladies of honour his person did nourish^ 

 Because he was the true son of a king. 



But since that false fortune, 



Which still is uncertain, 

 Has caused this parting between him and me. 



His name Pll advance 



In Spain and in France, 

 And I'D seek out my black bird wherever he be." 



The Blackbird will pair with the Thrush. A mule of this kind is mentioned 

 at the Crystal Palace bird-show (vide ' Times,' Feb. 10, 1872). This species 

 very much follows the rule of the Sky-Lark ; at certain times foreigners cross 



* See 'De inventione Sanctse Crucis nostrse in Monte Acuto et de ductione ejusdem apud 

 Waltham.' By William Stubbs, M.A. Oxford and London, 1861. 8vo. 



