68 
British Birds. 
THE 
BLACKBIRD. 
(Merida 
liter ula.) 
The Blackbirds 
and Thrushes have 
not the large white 
wing-patch on the 
inner side of the 
wing which distinguishes the mem- 
bers of the genera Oreocichln and 
Geocichla. In the genus Merula 
the sexes are different in colour, 
whereas in the true Thrushes the 
male and female are alike. The 
male Blackbird is distinguished by 
its bright yellow bill, this being dark 
brown or blackish in the female, 
although in very old birds it has a 
The Blackbird. tendency to become yellow. It is 
a species found everywhere in the 
British Islands and extends throughout Europe, but does not range far north in 
Russia. 
This familiar species is too well known to require much notice of its habits. It is 
found inhabiting every variety of situation, and is a denizen of our parks and 
gardens, and is very common in the neighbourhood of London. Like other 
Thrushes its food consists largely of worms and insects, and it devours a great 
quantity of fruit, when the latter is unprotected. The nest is a large and well-built 
structure of twigs and moss, grass and mud, and finally lined with fine grass. The 
eggs are from four to six in number, and vary considerably in colour, from greenish 
blue thickly spotted with reddish 
brown to blue with only a small 
proportion of reddish dots. 
In this species 
the colour of the 
sexes does not 
differ to the same 
extent as in the 
Blackbird, but both male and female 
are black, with a broad white gorget, 
which is very conspicuous when the 
bird flies ; in the hen-bird, however, 
this gorget is slightly overshadowed 
with brown, and the feathers of the 
under parts are edged with whitish, The Ring-Ouzel. 
THE 
RING-OUZEL. 
(Merula 
torquata.) 
