THE BLACKBIRD. S 2 9 



in number. Their song is very low, plaintive, and sweet. They are 

 wild and shy, and dash their heads against the bars when they are 

 shut up in a cage. Their flesh is appreciated for the table. 



The Merulidce genus is characterised by a flattened, curved, and 

 slightly denticulated bill, and is one of the most numerous of the 

 family, embracing no less than 150 species spread plentifully over 

 the whole surface of the globe. 



Birds of this genus are, generally speaking, migratory, and travel 

 in more or less numerous flocks. They feed on berries, fruits, and 

 insects, and are endowed with harmonious powers of song. They 



Fig. 239. — The Hermit Thrush. 



have been divided into two great sections, the division being based 

 upon the particular arrangement of their colours. First, all such as 

 have the plumage of a uniform colour; secondly, those whose 

 plumage is marked with small dark spots on the breast. 



The principal species of the first section are the Blackbirds and 

 the Polyglot Thrush. 



The Common Blackbird '{Turdus merida, Fig. 240) is so called on 

 account of the plumage in the male bird, which is of a uniform 

 black colour. It delights in localities covered with groves and 

 thickets situated in the vicinity of water. When a sufficiency of food 

 is to be found it seldom leaves the district it has frequented. In 

 nearly all the countries of the European continent it is to be met 

 with the entire year. These birds appear to be more numerous in 



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