674 
Wild Birds Useful and Injurious. 
usually placed in evergreen bushes, ivy, or hedges ; but, as with 
most species, considerable variation in the choice of the site and 
in the colour of the eggs is not uncommonly displayed. One 
nest, for instance, I found absolutely on the ground, concealed 
by coarse herbage. In the same neighbourhood I discovered a 
pretty clutch of eggs of a delicate blue colour and quite devoid 
of any markings whatever. An egg from another nest has all 
the markings clustered together at the smaller end. 
The great crime of which blackbirds are guilty is the mal- 
appropriation of strawberries, currants, raspberries, apples, plums, 
and other fruit. The quantity of these delicacies which the}’- 
consume entails a serious loss, particularly when their depreda- 
tions are canned on in market-gardens. If unmolested, they 
will in many cases devour the entire crop. It is, unfortunately, 
almost impossible to keep them from the fruit with any degree 
of efficiency without destroying them ; for they exhibit con- 
siderable cunning in finding their way under netting, and soon 
learn to disregard any method of scaring which they find by 
experience may be braved with impunity. Amongst the many 
ingenious devices adopted for keeping birds at a respectful dis- 
tance may be mentioned the amusing expedient of attaching a 
cat, by means of a ring and swivel, to a long cord fastened 
securely at each end, so that it can walk up and down the length 
of its tether ; a method which is said to be very effective in 
protecting the fruit. Tame hawks have also been employed in 
a similar manner, and have proved themselves efficient bird- 
scarers. 
Blackbirds must certainly be kept from the ripening fruit 
if a good crop is to be obtained. Before putting them to death, 
however, it is only fair to remember that their ravages are of 
necessity confined to a limited period, while for the rest of the 
year they live blamelessly and destroy quantities of snails, 
slugs, beetles, and other insects, including many injurious cater- 
pillars. They do not care for snails in summer ; a fact which 
may be readily demonstrated by depositing a number of the 
molluscs in question on a lawn frequented by the birds. They 
also feed largely on earthworms, and their habit of hunting for 
their prey on the well-kept grass plots close to houses has 
rendered them universally familiar. Another considerable por- 
tion of their food consists of wild fruits — for instance, yew-berries ; 
and I have seen them with their intestines stained purple by 
the colouring matter from the berries of the dog- wood. Scat- 
tered grain from farm-yards, and small seeds, also contribute to 
their nourishment ; and they are grateful for bread-crumbs and 
other scraps when the weather is severe. 
