RED-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT 309 



keeping to the ground or near it in the cover of vegetation, but will 

 come out to feed in the open when undisturbed. With the exception 

 of the singing male and to some extent of birds with young, blue- 

 throats do not show themselves readily away from cover. They 

 spend most of their time on the ground among rank vegetation or, in 

 the case of migrants, at any rate in Europe, often among root crops 

 in cultivated fields. In thick cover the bird creeps about in a mouse- 

 like fashion, but if the observer remains concealed or keeps very quiet 

 it may emerge into the open. Here the carriage is seen to be notice- 

 ably erect, and the bird moves over the ground with long hops or 

 sometimes in little runs. The tail is usually cocked up in a perky 

 fashion and is frequently flirted up and down and from side to side, 

 being somewhat spread at the same time. It is also somewhat spread 

 when the bird alights. When suspicious or slightly uneasy it has a 

 nervous bobbing action, another of the characteristics emphasizing 

 relationship with the European robin. If it is driven from cover, 

 or for that matter when making a voluntary flight, it travels low and 

 seldom for more than a short distance, quickly diving into cover 

 again. In doing this it has been observed of migrants that the line 

 of flight generally flattens out at the last moment instead of the bird 

 dropping down into cover vertically as so many species do. On the 

 breeding ground , in spite of its predilection for cover, it will at times — 

 and not only when singing — perch quite freely in the open on some 

 low bush or other perch, but any slight disturbance will quickly send 

 it into shelter again. 



Voice. — The note most commonly heard is a scolding, hard-sounding 

 tacc, tacc, but it has also a more plaintive hweet, which seems to be 

 more definitely an alarm note, and a rather soft, croaking turrc, turrc. 



The delightful song of the bluethroat has charmed all naturalists 

 who have heard it in its northern haunts and has earned for it among 

 the Lapps of its native country a name meaning "a hundred tongues." 

 It is a loud, sweet, and remarkably varied performance with, in parts 

 especially, a distinct family resemblance to that of the nightingale, 

 though never quite so rich and full. As is the case in the nightingale's 

 song, each phrase is a repetition of the same note or simple combination 

 of notes, and although some, including a striking metallic ting, ting, 

 ting, which has been compared to a note struck on a metal triangle, 

 seem to be common to all birds, there is a great deal of variation not 

 only in the notes and phrases in the repertoire of any given bird 

 but also between those of one bird and another. Not all the notes 

 are musical; here and there more churring or other nonmusical sounds 

 occur, but this does not detract from the beauty of the song as a 

 whole, any more than does the same feature in the song of the night- 

 ingale. 



