200 
BLACKETRD. 
plants, in search of insects. The shells of snails it breaks 
against any hard spot, in the same way that the Thrush 
does. In the autumn it frequents turnip-fields in search of 
insect food. Doubtless, as in so many other similar cases of 
supposed injury, the evil that it may do is counterbalanced 
by a proportionate amount of good. It begins its pilfering 
as soon as it is light, and has a habit when searching for 
food, of frequently raising and depressing the tail, expanding 
at the same time the tail feathers: it hops or leaps very 
quickly along. It swallows a little gravel at times to aid 
the digestion of its food. It is a hardy species, and is able 
to hear the severity of most of our winters, btit hard weather 
compels many from their comparative retirement to the farm¬ 
yard, and sometimes they will approach quite close to the 
house, to feed on berries growing against the wall, and to 
pick up any crumbs placed there for them; one has been 
known to eat out of the hand while sitting on the nest. 
The following account is given by Mr. Weir to Mr. Mac- 
gillivray, respecting the number of times in the day which 
he watched a pair of Blackbirds feed their young, four in 
number. At a quarter past three in the morning they 
commenced; from that time until four o’clock, the male fed 
them only once, and sang almost incessantly, whilst the female 
fed them six times; from four to five o’clock, the male fed 
them six times, and the female three times; from five to six 
o’clock, the male fed them four and the female five times; 
from six to seven o’clock, the male fed them three, and the 
female five times; and from seven to eight o’clock, the male 
fed them three times. For the last four hours he sang most 
delightfully, except when he was feeding the young birds, and 
as he had induced one of them to fly out after him, Mr. 
Weir had to replace it in the nest, which caused some inter¬ 
ruption to their feeding. From eight to nine o’clock, the 
male fed them six, and the female seven times; and from nine 
to ten o’clock, the male fed them four, and the female three 
times; from ten to eleven o’clock, the male fed them three, 
and the female two times; from eleven to twelve o’clock, the 
male fed them two, and the female three times; from twelve 
to one o’clock, the male fed them two, and the female four 
times; and from one to two o’clock, the male fed them twice, 
and the female thrice. From two to three o’clock, the female 
fed them twice; and from three to four o’clock, the male fed 
them three, and the female four times. From four to five 
