594 
a Elackbird’s, but coutainiug one true Tlirusli’s egg. It was taken 
ill liegeut’s Park in 1874. 
Mr. J. II. Gurney, Jun., has been kind enough to supply me with 
the folloAving note : — In the collection of Mr. Henry Stevenson 
is a variety of the Blackbird, shot in Norfolk (exact locality 
not remembered) November 1st, 1881, Avhich looks as if it might 
be a hybrid between that species and the Eing Ouzel, having 
a light-brown pectoral gorget rather loAver down than in a Eing 
Ouzel, and some light-brown patches on the upper parts. In other 
respects it resembles a cock Blackbird Avith the croAvn and back 
very dark. The bill is noAV dark-broAvn, and does not appear 
to have ever had any yellow in it. 
With this I conclude the list of cases Avhich, thus far, I 
have been able to collect. I think that there is sufficient 
evidence to Avarrant the belief that cases of hybridization 
betAveen these tAvo species do sometimes occur in nature. At 
all events, such good authorities as hlacgillivray and Mr. Dresser 
see nothing very extraordinary in such being the case; Avhile 
Professor NeAvton, speaking of the Blackbird in his edition of 
Yarrell’s ‘ History of British Birds,’ * says : “ This species Avill 
breed Avith the Song Thrush, and in one case on record [see 
Case IV.], hybrids AA^ere produced from such a union in tAVO succes- 
sive years.” Mr. J. II. Gurney, Jun., makes some very interesting 
remarks on the subjcct,t although he confesses that he is “not 
a great believer in Blackbird and Thrush hybrids.” After alluding 
to several of the instances already quoted, he says : “ I have 
an instance of a Thrush Avhich turned nearly blac.k in confinement, 
its OAvner thinking that in his absence it had been changed ; but 
Avith proper food it reverted to the normal colour.”]; The birds 
spoken of in Case XVI. may have been of the same nature as 
this one. He continues : “ I have seen a Blackbird killed at 
Eeigate Avith large patches of broAvn upon it, very singularly 
* Vol. i. p. 282. t ‘Zoologist,’ June, 1883, p. 256. 
•t [This Avas a similar instance to Count Salvadori’s tame Thrush (No. XV). 
In both instances hempseed must have been the cause of the black colour. 
I have a Thrush Avith a tendency to melanism Avhich I bought of Mr. Davey, 
a bird-dealer in Camden Toavii. I expect it had had hemp. Instances 
of Bullfinches being turned black by hempseed are very numerous.— 
J. II. Gurney, Jun.] 
