108 



18 



often sucked by snakes and lizards, with which the country abounds. The nest of this species in 

 Turkey is sometimes found with feathers inside, but is mostly lined with dry grasses." 



Concerning the Blackbird in Denmark our friend Mr. A. Benzon writes to us as follows: — 

 " Solsort is the common Danish name of this bird, and Surtdrossel is but seldom used. The nest 

 is constructed outside of small twigs and coarse bents, worked together with clay or earth, and 

 inside lined with fine grass-straws or roots, more seldom with moss. The outside diameter is 

 about 120 millims. and the height 85 millims., and the inside diameter about 70 millims. with a 

 depth of 50 millims. It is usually placed on a low bush or the side of a tree or on a stump, 

 sometimes in low fir trees, and such places, seldom higher than about a metre above the ground, 

 though sometimes so low that the foundation touches the latter. It has two or three broods in 

 the year, and generally lays four or five, seldom six, eggs; and sometimes the last sitting consists 

 of only three. I have taken the first eggs on the 28th of April, and the last on the 10th of July ; 

 but I have known them taken both rather earlier and later. The eggs are generally bluish green, 

 covered all over with greyish-brown spots, but often with larger brownish-yellow spots, which 

 collect at the larger end ; in shape they are oval and but slightly tapering. Both in colour and 

 size they are, however, subject to considerable variation. I think the average size is about 

 30*5 by 22'5 millims. This, like all other Thrushes, is called Kramsfugl, and during migration 

 is snared, but is the least numerous, excepting the lling-Ouzel (Turdus torquatus), of those 

 caught. It is particularly numerous in parts of the woods where berries are abundant, or near 

 gardens, where, (lining the fruit-season, it does some harm to certain sorts of fruit." 



As will be seen above, Macgillivray states that the present species is not gregarious ; but they 

 roost in company, as the following note, sent us by our excellent coadjutor Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., 

 will show: — "On his land at Ulceby, in North Lincolnshire, Mr. J. Cordeaux showed me a 

 plantation of young spruce and larch of about two acres. In the daytime there were no Black- 

 birds here, but on a winter's afternoon they thronged to it with others of the Thrush tribe. In 

 the 'Zoologist' (p. 9407) he relates that on the 28th of November, 1864, he counted 138 enter 

 the plantation between 3.30 p.m. and 4.15, which was exclusive of many more which came in on 

 the other side. In 1S70 he repeated the experiment (Zool. p. 2474), but only 52 came in, as 

 part of the underwood had been cleared out. In the autumn incredible numbers resort to the 

 turnip-fields, it has been said, to feed on slugs." 



The following little notice by Mr. Harry Blake-Knox is worthy of record. In his " Orni- 

 thological Notes from the County Dublin" (Zool. s. s. p. 684), he writes on the migration of the 

 Blackbird: — "There have been many inquiries in the 'Zoologist' as to what becomes of the old 

 Robins in the summer; but I would put another question, What becomes of Blackbirds, old and 

 young, in the same season'? I am sure that many must have noticed that during the spring they 

 breed in numbers, and rear quantities of young; but from June very few are to be seen, except 

 those that frequent gardens : I speak of Ireland generally. I know that in September and 

 < )( tober miles of hedges may be traversed, and not one seen; but in November, when the haws 

 are ripe, every hedge and garden is full of them, old and young. Nowhere can we go countiy- 

 ways but we hear their cheery cries; and I know persons who have at this season shot several 

 dozens in a day for making pies. They are capital eating at this time of the year, if treated like 

 game, kept till high, and served up underdone. In a few weeks the bulk of the haws are 



