44 
BIRDS OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND. 
occasionally feeds upon the fruit of the blackthorn when the former food fails it, 
and, under date 1st Nov., 1842, he recounts his falling in with a straggling party 
of Fieldfares which were feeding voraciously on sloe berries at Nailstone Wiggs. 
In Kutland. — A winter migrant, generally distributed, but not remaining to 
breed. 
IILACKBIKD. Turdus merida, Linmeus. 
Kesident and common ; breeding in gardens close to, or even within, the town 
of Leicester. — In 1 884 I heard Blackbirds singing, together with Thrushes, at Ayle- 
stoneon 2nd Jan. During the nesting season this wary, clattering bird, is unusually 
bold, and I have often observed them in the Museum grounds straggling from 
adjacent gardens, and, as shewing their confidence at this time, I heard (and saw) a 
fine m.ale singing most melodiously in a poplar-tree in the New Walk, Leicester, 
on the 1st June, 1885, at half past one o’clock, during bright sunshine. So 
unusual was the occurrence in this much frequented thoroughfare, that several 
persons stopped to look around, thinking it was singing from a cage at one of 
the adjacent houses. 
Harley occasionally met with its nest on the ground, and, in the spring of 
1844, saw a nest containing five eggs which had been found on the crest and 
within the flower-stalks of a turnip, several yards from any fence or hedge. Mr- 
H. S. Davenport reports that in May, 1879, a Blackbird built its nest in some 
thick ivy on the wall adjoining the stable-yard at Skeffington Rectory, and laid 
six eggs, all of which were hatched, and the young fled. Shortly afterwards five 
more eggs were deposited in the same nest, and were also successfully hatched 
off. He also states that, in June, 1883, a Blackbird at Ashlands possessed itself 
of an old Missel-Thrush’s nest for its second brood. The earliest egg recorded 
by him was laid on 16th IMarch, 1885. The adult birds of this species are most 
assiduous in attending to their young, as was evidenced by the following incident, 
which occurred in a garden on the “ Freemen’s Common,” Leicester, occupied 
by Air. W. Squires. On 9th July, 1885, a nest, built on one side of a summer- 
house, and containing four young, was removed to the other side, and placed in 
a cage. On the following day, the female, going in to feed her young, was 
caught, after which the male bird fed the little ones until 12th July, when he 
also was caught, all being destined for the Museum “ local” collection. 
Two pied varieties are in the jMuseum : one — shot by Mr. W. 31. Squires, at 
Aylestone, 22nd Aug., 1866 — having the ear-coverts and a space in front of 
each eye pure white, a semicircular band of white feathers at the back of the 
neck, and a few scattered white feathers upon the crown of the head ; the other — 
shot by 3Ir. C. S. Robinson in his garden at Stoneygate, 25th Feb., 1884 — having 
a few white feathers about the body and tail. 3Ir. H. S. Davenport saw a pied 
variety near Billesdon in Aug., 1877. I saw in 1888, in the possession of 3Ir. 
H. C. Woodcock, a variety (male), killed by him at Rearsby many years ago. 
