THE COMMONER BIRDS OF OUR GARDENS. 



429 



These birds are largely eaten on the Continent, especially in Rome. 

 The colour of the female is not so bright as that of the male. 



The eggs are from five to seven in number, and as many as two or 

 three broods are reared in the year. The old birds drive off the young 

 when able to take care of themselves. 



No farmer and few gardeners will say much against this lovable bird, 

 but it is due to record that although its food chiefly consists of worms, 

 insects (including the larvae of the Swift moth), ground grubs, wood-lice 

 and even earwigs, yet red and white currants suffer from its attacks ; it 

 takes cherries, it damages hot-house grapes, taking one peck at each berry, 

 and so does considerable harm in a very short time. It will sometimes 

 go up a strawberry row and peck at each fruit as it passes along, not like 

 a blackbird or thrush, but just sufficiently to make a very fine specimen 

 of ' Royal Sovereign ' worthless for market purposes. 



The robin is an indefatigable singer, and is said to be silent only from 

 about July 17 to August 6 ; it will even sing during rain. 



Blackbikd : Tardus merula. 



This sweet singer is a shy bird, generally seen singly or in pairs, 

 very seldom in flocks. It is considered the "prince of fruit thieves," 

 eating green and ripe strawberries, red currants, gooseberries, raspberries, 

 soft, coloured, and best apples, cherries, plums, tomatos, mulberries, 

 figs, loganberries, and more rarely black currants ; it also pecks holes in 

 late pears. The male has a jet-black coat and orange bill ; the female is 

 of a sooty colour and dusky brown bill. In taking fruit from bushes this 

 bird keeps near the ground, and if disturbed gets up with a loud chattering 

 cry of alarm. Yarrell says that in winter it feeds on grain and seed, and 

 in spring and early summer on the larva? of insects, worms, molluscs ; 

 and as the season advances it exhibits great fondness for fruit. It fre- 

 quents woods, plantations, and hedges. 



He speaks of its song as being powerful rather than with quality 

 of tone, compass, or variety. It is chiefly heard in the early morning or 

 late evening, and never better than during a warm April shower. 



From four to six eggs are laid very early in the year. Several broods 

 are raised in a season. Yarrell mentions that the young of the first brood 

 sometimes assist their parents in feeding the young of the second ; 

 Mr. Blyth in 1838 knew a pair raise four broods, in all seventeen birds, 

 in one season ; and Dr. Gordon recorded twenty-five eggs with fourteen 

 birds reared. 



The blackbird is a resident species, commonly distributed throughout 

 the British Islands, and though some of our native birds migrate south- 

 ward in the autumn, their place is taken by numbers of visitors from the 

 Continent. Large numbers arrive on the Northumberland coast and go 

 in a south-westerly direction, a large number of them staying with us 

 during the whole winter. This bird appears to be plentiful at times all 

 over Europe. 



It is generally considered that the Wild Birds' Protection Act has 

 had the effect of increasing the blackbird during the last few years. Miss 

 Ormercd mentions it as eating caterpillars of the large white cabbage 

 butterfly (Pieris brass icae). 



