710 
BIRD-LIFE. 
thank it for so often robbing him of the head of game he 
looked upon as safely bagged. 
In the summer it feeds on all kinds of worms, insects, 
and mollusks, which it picks up off the ground and from 
under dead leaves; in autumn and winter it also devours 
berries of different kinds, though it is rarely so driven by 
hunger as to attempt to pick them from out of a noose or 
trap, when hung as bait, or if it does, it manages to eat the 
bait without being caught. Nevertheless, berries are the 
best lure, and it is mostly taken by that means. 
The Blackbird breeds early in the year. The nest may 
be found already by the beginning of April in thick trees, 
stumps, and even on the ground; it is, however, usually 
met with at a moderate height, and always well hidden. 
The nest is made of such vegetable substances as the 
immediate neighbourhood affords, and when not placed 
in a cavity is always plastered with mud inside, and lined 
with moss. The eggs are from four to six in number, of 
a moderate size, and a greenish colour, spotted with 
brown. The young are hatched out in from fourteen to 
sixteen days, and are principally fed on insects. The 
parents abandon them soon after they have left the nest, 
for in a favourable season the old birds prepare for a 
second brood; and by the end of May even, they 
generally have eggs again. 
The Blackbird is a favourite in the cage, though its 
song is too powerful for a room, and on this account it 
is a welcome addition to the aviary. In captivity it soon 
becomes accustomed to an artificial diet, composed of 
curds, wheaten roll and carrots mixed together, and will 
live for many years in confinement. 
I, for my part, do not like it as a cage bird, but prefer 
it in its freedom in the green wood, which it enlivens 
