218 THE SOLITAIRE. 



flying about, interpolating his exquisite notes 

 between two mouthfuls, or dropping them from 

 the air. He always placed himself deliberately, 

 and waited for the room to be still, or made 

 it so, as already related. During the first few 

 months of his residence with me he gave one 

 song of perhaps twenty notes, ending in a 

 lovely tremolo. This had great variety of ar- 

 rangement, but all bore unmistakable resem- 

 blance to the original theme. It was in quality 

 totally unlike any bird note I ever heard, and 

 thrilling in an extraordinary degree, though it 

 was uttered with the beak nearly closed. I can 

 readily believe what Mr. Ober and others assert, 

 that it must have a startling effect when poured 

 out freely in his native woods. 



This song alone placed the clarin at the head 

 of all songsters that I have heard or heard of, 

 and I have heard all of our own best songsters, 

 and the nightingale and wood lark of Europe. 

 But after nearly a year of this he came out 

 one memorable day with an entirely new melody, 

 much more intricate and more beautiful, which 

 for some time he reserved for very special and 

 particular occasions, still giving the former 

 one ordinarily. Some months later, to my 

 amazement, he added a third chant, part of 

 which so resembled that of the wood thrush that 

 if he had been near one I should have thought it 



