228 BLACKBIRD. Clafs II. 



he fays it is the left of any, and may be known by its 

 dark breaft ; that it builds its neft by fome heath-fide, 

 is very fcarce, and will fing nine months in the year. 



V. The B L A C K B I R D. 



Le Merle noir. Belon a-v. 320. PI. enl. 2. 



Merula. Gefmranj. 602. Turdus merula. Lin.JyJI. 295. 



Jldr. a-v ii. 276. Kohl-Traft. Fau7i. Suec./p. 220. 



Merlo. Zinan. 39. Olina 2g, Dan. Sc Nor'vegis SoIforC. Br^ 



Wil, orn. 190. 234. 



Rail fyn. a'v. 65. Amftl, Amarl. Kram. 360. 



La Merle. BriJJon anj. ii. 227. Br. Zool. 92. 



'HIS bird is of a very retired and folitary na- 

 ture ; frequents hedges and thickets, in which 

 it builds earlier than any other bird : the nefb is 

 formed of mofs, dead grafs, fibres, ^c. lined or 

 plaiftered with clay, and that again covered with hay 

 or fmall ftraw. It lays four or five eggs of a bluifli 

 green color, marked with irregular dulky fpots. 

 The note of the male is extremely fine, but too loud 

 \ for any place except the woods : it begins to fing 

 early in the fpring, continues its mufic part of the 

 fummer, defifts in the moulting feafon ; but refumes 

 it for fome time in the firft winter months. 

 Defer. The color of the male, when it has attained its full 



age, is of a fine deep black, and the bill of a bright 

 yellow : the edges of the eyelids yellow. When 

 young, the bill isdufi^y, and the plumage of a rufty 

 black, fo that they are not to be diftinguilhed from 

 the females -, but at the age of one year they attain 

 their proper color. 



VI. The 



