80 Proceedings. 
1st class. 2nd class. 3rd class. 
Nightingale. Linnet. Willow- Wren. 
Blackcap. Tree-Pipit. Chaffinch. 
Blackbird. Swallow. Wood- Wren. 
Skylark. Whitethroat. Yellowhammer. 
Garden-Warbler. Robin. Lesser Whitethroat. 
Thrush. Wren. Chiffchaff. 
Sedge-Warbler. Great Tit. 
Hedge-Sparrow. 
Greenfinch. 
I need hardly say that to judge fairly as to a bird’s song, as 
well as to learn to know it, one ought to hear it at tolerably 
close quarters, and to listen to it for some little time, so as to 
hear all the varieties of note; and with a few of the species, 
notably the Nightingale, these are not quickly exhausted; even 
after listening for a long time, one is perhaps surprised to hear 
some new note, not previously sung. The songs of the Thrush, 
Blackbird, and Skylark are probably the best known to most 
people, and some will prefer one, some another. The Skylark 
has not so much variety as the others, but its song is certainly 
extremely sweet, and its continuity gives it an advantage over 
them; while the Thrush has great variety and many rich, clear, 
and strong notes, it has also some distinctly harsh, which tend 
to lower the general average of its song; the Blackbird has 
probably the richest notes of the three, with more of finish and 
real quality about them. The Blackcap is a species not nearly 
so well and generally known as it deserves to be; when well 
settled into song its melody is delightful; many of the notes 
are extremely clear and sweet, and the whole song is very 
rapidly uttered, often with great variety of note; the rapidity 
and sudden changes give a certain wildness to it, which has a 
great charm. The Garden-Warbler has a song very similar, 
but rather less varied and without any of the loud clear notes 
of the Blackcap; it is, however, extremely sweet and mellow, 
and perhaps the quality is even superior. As regards the 
2nd class, the song of the Linnet, which heads the list, is very 
