PACIFIC VARIED THRUSH 91 



but soon returned and made a great outcry, which soon brought her 

 mate to the scene. On one occasion, he says: "While I was at the 

 nest, both of the pair made quick dashes at me; and they continued 

 to give their harsh alarm notes as long as I was in the vicinity." 



Theed Pearse tells me that the varied thrush "is a very quarrelsome 

 bird, continually driving its own and other species from a feeding 

 station. One bird will adopt a regular dog-in-the-manger attitude, 

 stopping any other bird from taking food, though not feeding itself. 

 Its place may be taken by another, who on driving it off will take up 

 the same position. Males are worse than females." 



Voice. — The strange, rich, musical, yet almost melancholy notes of 

 the varied thrush are one of its striking characteristics, most appropri- 

 ate for the somber glades in which it lives, and to which they add a 

 decided charm. Mr. Rathbun (MS.) writes: "In March and April 

 a return movement of these thrushes toward their breeding habitat 

 takes place, and by the middle of May probably all have reached 

 their destination. It is in this and the following month that the 

 song of this bird is heard at its best, and the character of this is de- 

 cidedly different from that of any other. The song consists of a 

 succession of long, vibrating notes, generally on five different tones, 

 all of pure quality. When one is very close to the singing bird, a 

 sixth note is often heard, but this is very soft and low; and inter- 

 jected, at times, in the song will be a harsh rasping note, not to be 

 heard at a distance. There is no regular sequence followed in giving 

 the tone notes; and the song carries a long way through the forest, 

 being sung with deliberation. 



"The birds seem to sing at their best on rather warm, misty morn- 

 ings; I have heard some really remarkable concerts given by about a 

 dozen thrushes in the immediate vicinity, and supplemented by others 

 at a distance. To hear this song at its very best, one should be close 

 to the performer; then there is a quality in the tones that is lost with 

 distance." 



On a warm, misty morning in June, he listened for some time to the 

 voice of an exceptionally good songster, and jotted down the varied 

 sequence in which the different tones were heard, as follows: "High — 

 low — medium — low — very low, this followed by a harsh note; high — 

 very high — low — medium — high — low, then a pause as if the bird was 

 reflecting on its performance; high — medium — medium— low — me- 

 dium — high — medium — medium — high — medium — medium — 

 faint low — medium — high — medium — low, then a pause; medium — 

 high — very low — medium — high— very high — low — medium, pause; 

 medium — very low, this given softly, an exquisite effect, followed by 

 a long pause; then high — very high — medium and a pause; high — 

 high — soft low, followed by a long pause ; medium — high — medium — 



