TAWNY THRUSH; WILSON'S THRUSH; 

 VEERY. 



TTJEDUS FUSCESCENS. 



NOTWITHSTANDING Dr. Coues's silence, and 

 Wilson's statement that this bird has " no song, 

 but a sharp chuck," the tawny thrush is a charming 

 singer. His little song is very beautiful, especially at 

 evening. I think we have no bird that sings so far into 

 the dark; hence his popular title of the "American 

 nightingale." It is particularly difficult to describe his 

 quality of tone. An appreciative woman perhaps nearest 

 indicates its metallic charm when she writes, "It is a 

 spiral, tremulous, silver thread of music." There are 

 eight tones in the song, the last two being on the same 

 pitch as the first two. The beginning is very unusual, 

 the first tone being on the second degree of the scale; 

 and there is no breaking of the delicate " silver thread " 

 from beginning to end : — 



This succession of sounds, so simple to the eye, be- 

 comes, as it is performed, quite intricate to the ear; some- 

 thing like the sweep of an accordion through the air. 

 The first half of the song is deliberate ; the latter half is 

 slightly hurried. 



