ground or against a bank, and has been found in the upper
boughs of a lofty tree. The outside is made of coarse roots
and strong bents of grass, plastered over or intermixed with
earth, and forming a stiff wall: it is then lined with finer
bents. The eggs are from four to six in number, of a light
greenish-blue, mottled with dark or light red-brown; the
ground being usually more blue than in eggs of the Fieldfare,
and the markings often taking the more definite form
of spots or streaks : but eggs of the Blackbird are occasionally
found of a uniform greenish-blue, without any markings
whatever, or these appear as lilac patches; while some eggs
have a yellowisli-white ground, with very faint markings of
light rusty : they measure from D36 to '95 by from '89 to
'75 in. The first brood of young is hatched by the end
of March, or early in April. Mr. Blyth (Naturalist, 1838,
p. 152) knew of a pair which raised four broods, in all seventeen
birds, in one season, and another prolific pair which had
twenty-five eggs and reared fourteen young has been recorded
by Dr. Gordon (Zool. p. 2297). This species will breed with
the Song-Thrush, and in one case on record (Mag. Nat. Hist,
vii. p. 599) hybrids were produced from such an union in
two successive years.
The Blackbird is very generally distributed throughout
the British Islands, breeding regularly in every county of
Great Britain from Cornwall to Orkney, while Thompson
says it is common and resident in all the wooded parts of
Ireland. In some of the Outer Hebrides, however, it would
seem from Mr. R. Gray, to be only known as an uncertain
winter-visitant, and it is at that season alone, according to
Dr. Saxby, that it appears in Shetland. Selby says that early
in November vast flocks arrive on the coast of Northumberland,
but remaining only a few days, resume their flight in a
south-westerly direction. As Mr. Stevenson has observed a
similar migratory movement in Norfolk and Mr. Blake-Knox
(Zool. s.s. p. 684) in Ireland, it may be presumed to extend
to other places ; but a large number of our Blackbirds
undoubtedly abide with us throughout the whole winter.
In Sweden the Blackbird does not appear to go further
north than lat. 66°; but in Norway its range extends at
least a degree higher—the Messrs. Godman having found
it breeding at Bodo ; and in the middle and south of each
of these countries it is common. I t is occasionally seen in
the Faroes, and two cases are recorded of its occurrence in
Iceland. I t breeds in Southern Finland and over a large
part of Russia, but its northern limits are not known. As
regards its eastern range, Pallas says it goes as far as
the Kaama, and, though he never saw it beyond the Ural
Mountains, yet he mentions its being a winter-resident in
Persia, where De Filippi once observed it. I t lias been
said to occur in Cashmere and Affglianistan; but Messrs.
Sliarpe and Dresser consider the species from those countries
to be distinct. It has been observed at Erzeroom and
Trebizond in winter and spring. I t breeds in Syria and
Palestine, but it is not abundant there. In Egypt it is a
winter-visitant and scarce. In Tunis and thence to the
westward as far as Morocco it is common, and is found in
the Canaries, Madeira and even the Azores. I t seems to
be plentiful at one time of the year or another in all the
countries of the European Continent not hitherto mentioned,
in many parts of the South, however, only as a winter-
visitant, in which capacity it appears in most of the islands
of the Mediterranean.
The bill and edges of the eyelids in the adult male are
gamboge-yellow: the whole of the plumage glossy black;
lower surface of the wings shining greyish-black; the legs
and toes brownish-black; claws black.
The whole length is about ten inches. The wing, from
the carpal joint to the end of the longest primary, four
inches and seven-eigliths: the second feather not quite so
long as the fifth, but longer than the sixth ; the third,
fourth and fifth feathers equal and longest.
In the female the bill and feet are dusky brown, the
plumage above is of an uniform umber-brown ; the chin,
throat and upper part of the breast orange-brown, with
a few darker-coloured spots; belly, sides and lower tail-
coverts hair-brown.