THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 37 



them together and the difference is quite 

 marked: the song of the hermit is in a 

 higher key, and is more wild and ethereal. 

 His instrument is a silver horn, which he 

 winds in the most solitary places. The 

 song of the wood-thrush is more golden and 

 leisurely. Its tone comes near to that of 

 some rare stringed instrument. One feels 

 that perhaps the wood-thrush has more com- 

 pass and power, if he would only let himself 

 out, but on the whole he comes a little short 

 of the pure, serene, hymn-like strain of the 

 hermit. 



Yet those who have heard only the wood- 

 thrush may well place him first on the list. 

 He is truly a royal minstrel, and considering 

 his liberal distribution throughout our At- 

 lantic seaboard, perhaps contributes more 

 than any other bird to our sylvan melody. 

 One may object that he spends a little too 

 much time in tuning his instrument, yet his 

 careless and uncertain touches reveal its rare 

 compass and power. 



He is the only songster of my acquaint- 

 ance, excepting the canary, that displays 

 different degrees of proficiency in the exer- 

 cise of his musical gifts. Not long since, 

 while walking one Sunday in the edge of an 



