382 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



Plumage.— Adult male jet black ; bill 

 and eyelids bright orange ; eyes hazel ; legs 

 dark brown. 



The Female is very variable and diffi- 

 cult to describe. The plumage is generally 

 umber brown ; the chin and under parts 

 lighter brown, and more or less spotted or 

 striped. Sometimes the under parts are 

 tinged with orange. The bill is only yellow- 

 ish at the base in old birds. 



The Young at first are similar to the 

 female in colour but duller, and the full 

 adult plumage of the male is not attained 

 until the second or third year. 



Varieties frequently occur, generally 

 pied with white. A very pretty one of this 

 form is given upon the plate from Mr. Bond's 

 collection. One in my own collection is 

 entirely of a pale grey, and another of a 

 reddish clay colour is probably a female. 

 A female is recorded of a cream colour, with 

 yellow bill and feet. Pure white specimens 

 also occur. Several varieties are recorded 

 in the Naturalist (1864), vol. i., p. 146 : one 

 a male, all reddish brown ; another male 

 having the upper surface light buff, and the 

 under surface cream colour ; one pure white. 



Note. — The blackbird is a songster a 

 little inferior to the thrush. Its notes are 

 more varied, though not so musical, yet in 

 other respects similar. It has been known 

 to imitate the notes of other birds. Some 

 years ago, one which frequented the Zoolo- 

 gical gardens learned the note of the cock 

 jungle fowl so well as to be undistinguish- 

 able. The song is generally commenced 

 about the middle of February. It has also 

 a chatter, used when alarmed, and a call 

 note resembling the syllables " chuck, 

 chuck," generally used when it takes wing. 



Migration. — Resident throughout the 

 year, though more numerous in the winter, 

 probably caused by arrivals from the north. 



Flight. — The blackbird flies generally 

 in short jerks, rarely leaving the cover ; and 



if obliged to do so in order to cross a park 

 or field, the flight across is straight and 

 hurried. 



Food. — The food of this bird consists 

 of insects, worms, snails, seeds, and fruit. 

 It makes havoc in the fruit garden when in 

 season, but fully compensate for the trouble 

 of keeping it out by the large quantity of 

 caterpillars and other insects destroyed 

 during the time the young are in the nest. 

 In the winter it feeds on the berries of the 

 hawthorn mountain ash, pips of roses, and 

 renders service to gardeners by destroying 

 any kind of vermin found in the garden. 



In Confinement the blackbird is a 

 favourite bird, and will learn to whistle 

 tunes. It should have a roomy cage, but is 

 best, as indeed most birds are which are 

 kept in confinement, in an aviary where it 

 can have plenty of room and water to bathe. 

 One is recorded which belonged to a lady, 

 which came and perched upon her pillow 

 every morning and awoke her with a song. 



Habitat— Common throughout Britain, 

 frequenting woods, shrubberies, gardens, and 

 similar places. 



Abroad it is found throughout Europe, 

 in the northern parts of Africa, and West- 

 ern Asia. 



Nest. — The nest is placed in a bush, 

 hedge, against a tree trunk, on a bank, or 

 even on the ground. It is composed of 

 small sticks and dry grass, plastered inter- 

 nally with mud, and lined with finer grass. 



E^^S. — From four to six eggs are laid 

 of a pale greenish blue, spotted with reddish 

 brown. Sometimes the spots are fine and 

 rank ; at other times they are large, more 

 like those on the egg of the ring ouzle. 

 Generally they are more numerous at the 

 thick end, but sometimes they are confined 

 to the small end. Fig. i represents the 

 general form. 



