30 Tlie Blackbird. 



exceedingly tidy about their nest, and when a little rubbish fell 

 out they instantly carried it away. At ten o'clock the feeding 

 began again vigorously, and continued till two, both parent- 

 birds supplying their young almost equally. 



"The hut in which I sat was very closely covered ; but a 

 little wren having alighted on the ground in pursuit of a fly, and 

 seeing one of my legs moving, set up a cry of alarm, on which, 

 in the course of a few seconds, all the birds in the neighbour- 

 hood collected to know what was the matter. The blackbird 

 hopped round the hut again and again, making every effort to 

 peep in, even alighting on the top within a few inches of my 

 head, but not being able to make any discovery, the tumult 

 subsided. It was probably considered a false alarm, and the 

 blackbirds went on feeding their young till almost four o'clock : 

 and now came the great event of the day. 



"At about half-past three the mother brought a large worm, 

 four inches in length probably, which she gave to one of the 

 young ones, and flew away. Shortly afterwards returning,, she 

 had the horror of perceiving that the worm, instead of being 

 swallowed was sticking in its throat ; on this she uttered a per- 

 fect moan of distress, which immediately brought the he-bird, 

 who also saw at a glance what a terrible catastrophe was to be 

 feared. Both parents made several efforts to push the worm 

 down the throat, but to no purpose, when, strange to say, the 

 father discovered the cause of the accident. The outer end of 

 the worm had got entangled in the feathers of the breast, and, 

 being held fast, could not be swallowed. He carefully dis- 

 engaged it, and, holding it up with his teak, the poor little 

 thing, with a great effort, managed to get it down, but was by 



