THRUSHES. 27 



that they are never properly gregarious, and that they prefer 

 retreats in woodland, where they are unlikely to be disturbed, 

 to all other suitable haunts, yet they often build their nests in 

 quite conspicuous places, and frequent the immediate neigh- 

 borhood of man. Nor are they then more shy than under 

 other circumstances, in fact, the female is generally prompted 

 by instinctive motherliness to sit as bravely on her nest, when 

 built upon a roadside, as when in a swamp of alders. The 

 Wood Thrushes usually sing from a high branch, whereas 

 they find their food on or near the ground ; but, wherever they 

 are, they generally preserve, except when running, a rather 

 erect attitude, observable also in the Robin and the other 

 (typical) Thrushes. If I have forgotten to speak of other 

 habits, let the reader go to the haunts already described, or 

 to cool woods on the banks of some rapid-running brook, and 

 there learn them. 



d. In the cool of the morning, or at evening, from the 

 time when the sun sets until dusk becomes dark, the Wood 

 Thrush, having mounted to a perch so high that his outbursts 

 of heavenly music shall not be confined to earth or lost in the 

 surrounding shrubbery, pours out such a melody that he seems 

 at every utterance " to be endeavoring to recall his very soul, 

 that fled to heaven on the winged notes of his last liquid mel- 

 ody." At other times of the day, if it is cloudy, or if he is in 

 dark, cool woods, he sings while he is busied in providing for 

 himself or his family, and as he moves through the bushes. 

 His song is rarely one continuous strain, but consists of many 

 detached variations, a series of liquid, metallic, rich, powerful, 

 and expressive notes, which are so exquisite that the all-ab- 

 sorbed and unobtrusive musician seldom if ever fails to charm 

 whoever hears him. Yet, it ought to be remembered that, 

 though some Wood Thrushes can produce such music as per- 

 haps no other birds can rival, others of them are greatly infe- 

 rior to their fellows. 



The ordinary notes of the Wood Thrush are a mellow chirp, 

 more metallic and less melancholy in tone than that of the 

 Wilson's Thrush, a chuck (sometimes combined with it), and 

 a simple chip, such as belongs to a large majority of all the 

 birds described in this volume. 



