The Blachbird. 71 



brought on by feeding him on insufficiently nutritious food: 

 with care, however, he will live from twelve to fifteen years 

 in a house, although Beohstein affirms that he will not endure 

 for more than five or six. 



The Blackbird requires a large cage, and great attention 

 to cleanliness to keep his feet in good order, and to preserve 

 intact his beautiful plumage, which is apt to turn a dull 

 rusty black, if he is kept in a dark place and not allowed 

 to bathe, when he is also frequently troubled with enlarge- 

 ment and obstruction of the rump gland. 



The remedies are obvious: for in this, as in so many other 

 cases, "prevention is better than cure." 



I venture here to quote Lord Tennyson's beautiful lines on 



THE BLACKBIED. 



O Blackbird! sing me something well: 

 While all the neighbours shoot thee round, 

 I keep smooth plats of fruitful ground, 



Where thou may'st warble, eat, and dwell. 



The espaliers and the standards all 

 Are thine; the range of lawn and park; 

 The unnetted black hearts ripen dark. 



All thine, against the garden wall. 



Tet, the' I spared thee all the spring, 



Thy sole delight is, sitting still, 



With that gold dagger of thy bill 

 To fret the summer jenneting. 



A golden biU! the sUver tongue, 

 , Cold February loved, is dry: 



Plenty corrupts the melody 

 That made thee famous once, when young; 



And in the sultry garden-squares, 



Now thy flute notes are changed to coarse, 

 I hear thee not at all, or hoarse 



As when a hawker hawks his wares. 



Take warning I he that will not sing 

 While yon sun prospers in the blue, 

 Shall sing for want, ere leaves are new. 



Caught in the frozen palms of Spring, 



