26 RURAL BIRD LIFE. 



moulting season in July, at which time, by the way, the 

 young of the year are heard making attempts at song. 

 We have not a bird in Britain possessing a more varied 

 melody than the Song-thrush. His notes may be said 

 to be almost endless in variety, each note seemingly 

 uttered at the caprice of the bird, without any percep- 

 tible approach to order. I have often, when listening to 

 his charming song, noted down as many of these varia- 

 tions as I could detect, and the result has surprised me. 

 I on one occasion recorded the variations as the bird was 

 warbling from the summit of a stately ash, and obtained 

 ten variations in one of the snatches of his song. The 

 Song-thrush warbles throughout the day, but morning 

 and evening are the times he sings in largest numbers. 

 I have known one of these birds sing incessantly in all 

 his varied splendour for five hours in the morning, 

 without once quitting his perching-place. It is a plea- 

 sure indescribable to listen to the vernal song of the 

 Thrush. In the early morning, when the first streak of 

 dawn appears glimmering over the eastern horizon, and 

 surrounding objects are beginning to assume a more 

 decided outline against the gray morning sky, w^e first 

 hear a few notes, as if the bird, like a skilful musician 

 previous to his performance, were tuning his lyre. 

 Gradually it swells into a lovely song, and is carried for 

 half a mile or more along the valley by the gentle 

 zephyrs of early morn. Shortly we hear another 

 from a neighbouring tree ; another and another are 

 heard in rapid succession, as the day spreads, widely 

 aiound ; and finally the air seems laden with their joyous 

 notes, now intermingled with the charming song of the 

 Robin and Wren, and the rich and flutelike tones of the 

 Blackbird. There is no monotony in the notes of the 

 Song-thrush, they are for ever on the change ; and when 



