id THE NATURAL HISTORY 
brown, like thofe of the hen, become more blackj 
and the Tides of their bills more yellow. 
T he old birds moult at the end of the fummerJ 
«| 
they begin to fing early in the fpring, and fomeJ 
times again after moulting. 
1 hey do not fly in flocks, but having a very! 
quick fight, and being naturally folitary and timid, 
they do not fuffer themfelves to be approached:! 
li'et they are not very fullen when taken, and[ 
are eafdy tamed : In confinement they may be: 
taught other notes than their own; to whifile, 
and even to fpeak. 
Their note is very fine, but too loud to pleafe, 1 
except in the open air. 
*1 hey are taken eafily in traps. Being na* 
turally reftlefs, when confined, they are teazing to> 
other birds that are {hut up with them : therefore! 
they are improper birds to be kept with others 
in an aviary. 
A Blackbird is fuppofed to live about feveu ’• 
years. There have been inftances of an acci-» 
dental variety ol this fpecies, whole feathers were 
moftly white. 
