[ 400 J 



done in 26 days : they build their nefls in 

 trees, lay four beautiful light-blue eggs, feed 



• on worms and carrion : when at liberty they 



■■ ling vvery prettily, but confined in a cage, 

 they lofe their melody. There is no material 



. diftinction between the male and female. 

 Their weight is z\ ounces, the length 9 

 inches, and the breadth 1 foot; they are cal- 

 led red birds at Hudfon's Bay ; their Indian 



. name is . Pee-pee-chue. 



Turdus, 22. 

 Severn River, N° 54 and 55, male and female. 



From the ftriking fimilarity with our blackbird, 

 the Englifh at Hudfon's Bay have given this 

 bird the fame name. However, upon a clofe 

 examination, I find the difference very great 

 between our European blackbird, and the 

 -, Hudfon's Bay or American one. The plumage 

 of the male, inftead of being deep black 

 without any glofs, as in ours, has a mining 

 purple caff, not unlike the plumage or 

 the Gracula Quifcula> Linn, or mining 

 Gracule, Faun. Am. Sept.; or the Maize 

 thief, of Kalm. The female indeed is very 

 like our female blackbird, being of a dufky 

 colour on the back, and a dark grey on the 

 breaft. The feet and bill are quite black in 

 both fexes; the former have the back claw 

 almoft as long again as any of the other claws. 

 There are no veftiges of yellow palpebral in 

 ■ cither the male or the female ; the bill in 

 vbpth is ftrong, fmooth, and fubulated ; the 



upper 



