202 
BLACKBIBD. 
were in an nnusnal state of excitement and terror—a prowling 
weasel having made its appearance; and while the danger 
threatened, the young birds, on the parents announcing it, 
cowered down in the nest, and appeared to be in great 
uneasiness. 
With regard to the song of the Blackbird, it has long 
been my opinion that he is neither more nor less than a 
mocking-bird, and that all his best notes are borrowed from 
those of the Thrush, to which, as is the case with most 
imitations of an original, they are much inferior; they are 
more remarkable for power, and in some degree for tone, 
than for compass or variety. One curious instance is on 
record of its having been heard, even in the wild state, 
crowing like a Cock, occasionally indulging for a moment 
or two in its natural song; another is related to have 
effected a similar imitation: when the Cocks in the neigh¬ 
bouring farm-yard answered his supposed challenge, he seemed 
delighted, and even flapped his wings when he crowed, and 
thus went on with the mimic rivalry. Two other similar 
instances are related by Mr. Thompson, of Belfast, as having 
occurred in Ireland; one in the shrubbery of Mr. Box well, of 
Lyngestown, in the county of Wexford, and the other at 
Oakland, Broughshane, in the county of Antrim; the latter 
was only heard to crow early in the summer. 
The following anecdote of this bird was communicated to 
Mr. Thompson by Edward Benn, Esq.:—‘A man wishing to 
have some of his breed, robbed the nest, which contained 
four young; two he left, and the other two he put into a 
large cage, and removed to his house. The old cock came 
constantly with food for the young in the cage, going into 
it and feeding them; the man, watching for such an oppor¬ 
tunity, made a run at the cage, and secured him, but when 
carrying it into the house, the bird made his escape through 
a hole in the wires. It was supposed he would not come 
back: he, however, returned to feed the young as usual; but 
instead of going into the cage, he went to the outside, and 
put the food through the wires. It may have been instinct 
that prompted him to find food for his young, though removed 
to a distance, and in an unusual place; but when he found 
there was danger in feeding them in the old way, it certainly 
shewed calculation to find out a way of doing it equally 
well without running risk. It was also very curious to see 
him going to feed the young when any person was watching: 
