SOWGS OF THE THRUSHES 107 



are near, is produced in much the same but a softer 

 tone by the sedge-warbler upon the same occasion. 

 The lesser whitethroat has a similar low currr, used 

 as an alarm. 



SONGS OF BIRDS OF THE THRUSH FAMILY 

 The thrushes and their near allies are perhaps 

 the sweetest singers. Their songs may be roughly 

 divided into two classes, namely, songs in which set 

 intervals of pitch and sweet tones predominate, and 

 songs in which imitations of notes of other birds are 

 the most noticeable. The former are generally the 

 more melodious. I know of none of their songs 

 which may be said to consist wholly of repetitions of 

 call-notes. By set intervals of pitch I mean such 

 definite intervals as may be readily perceived, but 

 which are not necessarily found in the diatonic scale, 

 although all birds except perhaps the mute swan 

 have a vocal range of several tones. The 

 music of bird - song will be discussed in a later 

 chapter. 



The mistle-thrush habitually repeats one musical 

 strain many times in successive phrases before pro- 

 ceeding to another ; and this habit is most often to 

 be noticed in early spring. The song of the 

 American robin has the same character ; but whereas 



