40 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 



Cones, generally only technical in his description of 

 the oscines, is impelled to unbend in his treatment of 

 this minstrel, and says : " ]^ot another bird can rival 

 the tenderness and softness of the liquid strains of this 

 modest vocalist. IS'ot born to 'waste its sweetness on 

 the desert air,' the warbling vireo forsakes the depths 

 of the woodland for the parks and orchards and shady 

 streets, where it glides through the foliage of the tallest 

 trees, the unseen messenger of rest and peace to the 

 busy, dusty haunts of men.'.' 



The lengthened days of May bring back those match- 

 less singers, the wood thrush and veery. Though late 

 in their spring arrival, their seasons of song are longer 

 than many that come earlier, often extending till late 

 into August. 



The wood thrushes [Turdus mustelimis) are quite 

 generally distributed throughout the States, and are 

 everywhere recognized as among the best of our wood- 

 land choristers. Probably no other sound quite equals 

 in sweetness and purity of tone the best notes of this 

 bird. If he only would combine the notes and strains 

 into a theme or continuous song, like that of the ves- 

 per sparrow or bobolink, the music would surpass that 

 of any other li\ing creature. The notes are detached 

 and the strains broken, and often preluded and inter- 

 luded with guttural clucks like those of the redwing. 

 We know him at his best at a distance, as we then get 

 only the pure tones that have made him such a favorite. 

 One charm of his singing is his habit of warbling the 



