Chapter VI 



OUR BEST SINGERS 



Thrushes — Including the Robin and 

 Bluebird 



**Who sings New England's Angelus? 

 A little bird so plainly dressed 

 With robe of brown and spotted vest, 

 He rings New England's Angelus. " 



— Nelly Hart Woodworth. 



It is generally believed by bird lovers that the 

 Thrushes as a family are our very best singers. 

 In both quality of tone and power of expression 

 they are the recognized leaders of the bird choir. 

 They are a large family, distributed throughout 

 the greater part of the world. We have about a 

 dozen varieties in the United States of w^hich 

 five may be classed as common birds in the 

 Eastern States, either as regular summer den- 

 izens, or as transient visitors. 



The distribution of Thrushes in summer is a 

 very interesting example of Nature's wisdom, 

 for she does not gather all of her most attractive 

 creatures in a single locality. The most southern 

 in range is the Wood Thrush; the Veery over- 

 laps his zone and extends into the territory' 

 occupied by the Hermit. This rare singer 

 reaches into the haunts of the Olive-backed; 



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