PASSEEES (TUEDINjE). 429 



the TurdiiiEe differ from the adults in plumage, always having 

 the upper parts more or less spotted. The Turdinse live upon 

 insects, molluscs, seeds, and fruit. 



The Blarkbiril (Turdus merula) need not be described, as 

 it is too well known. It is a resident over the greater part 

 of Britain. It is no unusual thing to get white and piebald 

 specimens of the blackbird. The food is very varied : they 

 destroy many insects, and are especially useful as snail and 

 slug devourers ; but they commit sad havoc with the fruit, 

 notably gooseberries, in the summer, especially in dry weather ; 

 they peck the best apples and pears and ruin them, and 

 as they have of recent years much increased they should be 

 shot in fruit districts. The hen is dusky-brown with a spotted 

 breast, whilst the beak is brown with yellow edges ; the cock 

 is deep black with a yellow bill. The curious habit it has 

 of raising its tail whenever it perches will always enable the 

 observer to detect it. It nests very early, in bushes, trees, 

 and hedges ; the nest is lined with fine grasses, in which are 

 laid iive greenish-blue eggs streaked and spotted with reddish- 

 brown. 



The ThriisJi (T. ?nusieus) also feeds upon much the same 

 food. This beautiful song-bird, the " throstle " of the north 

 country, is found all over the islands. They often migrate 

 in large numbers, this movement taking place at night. The 

 nest, which may be made in February, is lined by a smooth 

 coating of dung and mud, and in it are laid four or five blue 

 eggs spotted with black or dark-brown. The food, although 

 similar to the blackbird, is more varied. They do an immense 

 amount of good in the garden by crushing and eating the snails, 

 and by devouring hordes of slugs, wood-lice, insect-grubs, &c. 

 The snails are smashed, as a rule, against a stone or tree and 

 soon eaten ; heaps of broken snail-shells may often be found 

 lying about, the remains of a " throstle's " meal. They, how- 

 ever, do some harm to fruit, always taking the choicest kinds ; 

 but in'ordinary numbers they cannot be otherwise than looked 

 upon as gardeners' friends. 



