Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/168

 neighbourhood of Belfast.* On the 22nd of February a nest with three eggs was seen ; on the 1st of April, the young made their appearance in a nest at the Falls ; on the 14th of this month a nest containing three young birds some time "out," was dis- covered at Cromac House. Three broods were produced in this nest, the last of which made their appearance on the 3rd of July. The three broods followed immediately after each other, and were all seen by Mr. J. E. Garrett, to whom the nest itself from first to last, did not seem in the least degree altered.f The nest is generally placed in low situations,! as in small shrubs, white- thorn hedges, among ivy on the stem of a tree or on a wall, &c : — the obvious difference between it and that of the thrush, as remarked by my friend at the Falls, is, the latter being lined with clay or cow-dung only, the former with grasses, &c, although either of the two substances just named is also used in its construc- tion. Mr. Macgillivray describes the blackbird's nest very particu- larly (B. B. vol. ii. p. 90). This species, like the missel thrush, has the good taste, when an opportunity presents itself, of lining its nest with lace. A valuable piece of this material, which had been laid out to bleach in a garden at Lame, belonging to a lady of my acquaintance, was carried off, and the servant was blamed for the theft ; but when winter came, the missing article was found lining a blackbird's nest. A correspondent mentions a nest of this species having for its foundation the nest of a ring-dove of the preceding year.

In the north of Ireland, blackbirds are very destructive to fruits of almost every kind ; in many gardens around Belfast,

A brief "Comparison of the Periods of Flowering of certain Plants in the early spring of 1846, in the Botanic Garden of Belfast, and the Jardin des Plantes at Paris," drawn up by the author, will be found in the 19th volume of the Annals of Natural History, p. 223–226.

f My informant surmised that the first and second broods had, on leaving the nest, fallen victims to cats, which were in the habit of visiting the locality.

Professor Wilson is aware of this, and treating of the bird in his own eloquent manner, places the nest at the foot of a silver fir, from the top of which the male pours forth his song. — ''Chr. North,'' vol. iii. p. 14.