CHAPTER IV. 



THE BLACKBIRD. 



The Blackbird is familiar to us all. It is a thoroughly English 

 bird, and, with its cousin the thrush, is not only one of the 

 pleasantest features in our English spring and summer land- 

 scape, but both figure in our old poetry and ballads, as the 

 " merle and the mavis," " the blackbird and the throstle-cock ;" 

 for those old poets loved the country, and could not speak of 

 the greenwood without the bird. 



When shaws are sheen and fields are fair, 



And leaves both large and long, 

 'Tis merry walk'ng in the green forest 



To hear the wild birds' song ; 



The wood merle sings, and will not cease, 



Sitting upon a spray; 

 The merle and the mavis shout their'fill, 



From morn till the set of day. 



The blackbird takes its name from a very intelligible cause — 

 its perfectly black plumage, which, however, is agreeably re- 

 lieved by the bright orange of its bill, the orange circles round 

 its eyes, and its yellow feet ; though this is peculiar only to 

 the male, nor does he assume this distinguishing colour till his 

 second year. The female is of a dusky-brown colour. 



Sometimes the singular variety of a wJiite blackbird occurs. 



