38 BLACKBIRD. 



usually booms while flying high in the air. Its lofty spiral flight 

 indeed is a matter of common remark — 



" Swift as the bittern soars on spiral wings." 



SOUTHEY. 



A line which, I may remark, is not very ornithological ; inasmuch, 

 as neither the Bittern, nor any other bird, has spiral wings. Southey, 

 however, seems to be well acquainted with the boom of the bittern ; 



" At evening, o'er the swampy plain, 



The bittern's boom came far." * 



This bird is roused with difficulty from its lurking-place, flies heavily, 

 and frequently alights again at a small distance, so that it falls an 

 easy prey to the sportsman. We are informed, however, that it some- 

 times soars to a prodigious height in the air, with a spiral ascent, 

 making at the same time a singular noise. In the winter these birds 

 leave the more mountainous swamps, where it is probable the greater 

 part breed, and become scattered in the low moist situations. In severe 

 weather they are found in the sedgy banks of rivers and streams. 

 It is however become much more scarce than formerly, since its flesh 

 has been accounted a great delicacy, and poulterers value it at half-a- 

 guinea. Its principal food is small fish, frogs and insects ; the warty 

 lizard also becomes its prey, as we have found by dissection. 



BITTOUR.— A name for the Bittern. 



BLACKBIRD (Merula vulgaris, Ray.) 



*Turdus Merula, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 295. 22.— Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 831.— Lath. Ind. 

 Orn. 1. p. 340. 50.— Raii, Syn. p. 65. A. l.—Will. p. 140. t, 37.— Le Merle, 

 Buff. Ois. 3. p. 330.— Ib. pi. Enl. 2. the male, and 555. the female.— 

 Merle noir, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 1. p. 168. — Schwartz-Drossel, Bechst. Ias- 

 schenb. Deut. p. 149.— Ib. Naturg. Deut. 3. p. 376. — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 

 1. p. 199. — Frisch. t. 29. — Merula leucocephalus, varia et Candida, Briss. 2. 

 p. 230, 231, 232.— Blackbird, Br. Zool. No. 109. t. 47.— Arct. Zool. 2. p. 

 345. 1.— TFi/L (Ang.) p. 190.— Lewin's Br. Birds, 2. t. 61— Lath. Syn. 3. p. 

 43. 46. — Ib. Supp. p. 141. — Bewick's Birds, 1. p. 94. — Low's Fauna Oread, 

 p. 58. — Shaw's Zool. 10. p. 225. — Flem. Br. Anim. p. 65. — Selby, pi. 45. 

 fig. 4. and pi. 43. fig.- 2. * 



Provincial. — Amzel. Merle. 

 This well-known species needs little description. The male is 

 wholly of a deep black when it has -maintained maturity, which is not 

 till towards the spring, at which time the bill and orbits of the eyes 

 are yellow. The young as well as the female are of a dark rusty brown, 

 the bill and eye-lids dusky. * Individuals wholly white sometimes occur, 

 and I have seen one of this description in the Museum at Havre de 

 Grace. 



The song of the blackbird is a shrill kind of whistle of various notes, 



