The BLACKBIRD, BLACK THRUSH, or MERLE (_Turdus merula_), differs from the
species above described in the comparative shortness of its blunt-shaped
wings (in which the third, fourth, and fifth quills are nearly of equal
length), and still more decidedly in its mode of life. Its length varies
from nine and three-quarters to ten inches, and its breadth from thirteen
and a half to fourteen inches; the wing measures from four inches and
one-third to four and a half, and the tail four and a half inches. The
plumage of the adult male is of an uniform black, the eye brown, the beak
and edges of the eyelid bright yellow, and the legs dark brown; in the
adult female the upper part of the body is pure black, the under side
blackish grey, edged with light grey; the throat and upper part of the
breast are greyish black, but spotted with white and rust-red; the young
are blackish brown upon the back, spotted with yellow upon the shafts,
and rust-red, spotted with brown on the under side.
[Illustration: THE BLACKBIRD (_Turdus merula_).]
The Blackbird is met with extensively from sixty-six degrees north
latitude throughout the whole of Southern Europe, and is a permanent
resident in Great Britain. Everywhere it frequents moist and well-wooded
districts or tracts of underwood, usually remaining from year's end to
year's end within the limits of its native land. Only such as reside in
the extreme north of the continent migrate, and then rarely beyond the
southern parts of Sweden. "The Blackbirds," says Mr. Yarrell, "occupy
hedges, thickets, plantations, and woods. They are shy, vigilant, and
restless, frequenting the ground under cover of evergreens and other
shrubs, that serve to conceal them, and, if disturbed, take wing with
a vociferous chattering of alarm, and, after a short flight, turn
suddenly into some thick brake or hedgerow to avoid pursuit. The food
of the Blackbird varies considerably with the season; in the spring
and early part of the summer it consists of the larvæ of insects, with
worms and snails; the shells of the latter being dexterously broken
against a stone, to get at the soft body within. As the season advances
they exhibit their great partiality for fruit of various sorts, and
their frequent visits to our orchards bring upon them the vengeance of
the gardener. This bird commences his song early in the spring, and it
has been observed that he occasionally sings his best during an April
shower. He continues singing at intervals during the summer till the
moulting season. Like some other birds gifted with great powers of voice
the Blackbird is an imitator of the sounds made by others. He has been
heard closely to imitate part of the song of the Nightingale, and three
or four instances are recorded of his having been known to crow like a
cock, apparently enjoying the sound of the responses made by the fowls
in a neighbouring poultry-yard." Mr. Neville Wood mentions an instance
in which he heard a Blackbird cackle as a hen does after laying. This
species pairs and breeds very early in the spring, generally choosing
the centre of some thick bush in which to fix and conceal the nest. The
exterior is formed of coarse roots and strong bents of grass, plastered
over and interlaced with dirt on the inner surface, thus forming a stiff
wall; it is then lined with fine grass. The eggs are four or five,
sometimes six in number, of a light blue, speckled and spotted with pale
reddish brown (see Fig. 13, Coloured Plate XVI.) Occasionally they are of
an uniform blue shade. Their length is one inch and two lines, and their
breadth eight lines. The first brood is hatched by the end of March, or
early in April.
[Illustration: THE MOCKING BIRD (_Mimus polyglottus_).]
* * * * *
The MOCKING THRUSHES (_Mimi_) constitute a family nearly allied to the
birds above described. They are recognisable by their slender bodies,
and short but strong wings, that only extend as far as the base of
the long tail, and have the third, fourth, and fifth quills of equal
length. The exterior tail-feathers are graduated, the tarsi high, the
feet large and powerful, and the claws comparatively weak. The beak
somewhat resembles that of the True Thrush, but is much higher and more
arched; the plumage, moreover, is unusually soft and lax. Unlike the True
Thrushes, the members of this group do not prefer forests or woodlands,
but frequent open tracts, marshy districts, or even the sea-coast; and
while some seek the retirement of the most isolated situations, others
make their home close to the dwellings of man. Such species as inhabit
the southern portions of the western hemisphere do not migrate, whilst
those from the north, when winter approaches, wander southward as far as
the United States or even Central America. All American writers speak
with enthusiasm of the song of these birds; and though we are by no means
inclined to allow them the superiority over their European cousins that
has been claimed for them, still we are fully prepared to acknowledge
that their vocal powers are eminently fascinating and remarkable.