126 BIRDS AND MAN 



sists of a low rambling warble, with some resem- 

 blance to the whinchat's song ; it is the second 

 song, heard occasionally until late June, frequently 

 uttered on the wing — a torrent of loud, rapidly 

 uttered, and somewhat swallow-like notes — that 

 comes nearest in tone to the human voice, and has 

 the greatest charm. 



After these, we find other songsters with one or 

 two notes, or a phrase, human-like in quality, in 

 their songs. Of these I will only mention the 

 blackcap, linnet, and tree-pipit. The most beauti- 

 ful of the blackcap's notes, which come nearest 

 to the blackbird, have this human sound ; and 

 certainly the most beautiful part of the linnet's 

 song is the opening phrase, composed of notes 

 that are both swallow-like and human-like. 



It may appear strange to some readers that I 

 put the tree-pipit, with his thin, shrill, canary- 

 like pipe, in this list ; but his notes are not all of 

 this character ; he is moreover a most variable 

 singer ; and it happens that in some individuals 

 the concluding notes of the song have more of 

 that pecuhar human quality than any other British 

 songster. No doubt it was a bird in which these 

 human-like, languishing notes at the close of the 

 song were very full and beautiful that inspired 



