Natural History 417 



domestic cock "apparently enjoying the sound of the responses 

 made by the fowls of the neighbouring farmyard" and of his 

 cackling like an egg-proud hen! Some prefer the song of the 

 Blackbird to that of the Thrush. It certainly is the sweeter of 

 the two, but it is not so long continued. It may vary with the 

 district, and some hold that the Surrey Blackbird is the sweetest 

 songster of his kind. The period of song is identical with the 

 visit of the most delicately beautiful of all butterflies the 

 Orange-Tipped. Even the little Song-Thrush, a close relative 

 of the Blackbird, is a louder and more persistent singer than the 

 latter, although in that respect he does not compete with the 

 larger Missel-Thrush, which can often be heard pouring out his 

 bold loud notes from the topmost twig of a bare tree in the month 

 of January. The song is in keeping with his character. Mr. 

 W. H. Hudson thinks that "The Throstle is by far the finest 

 songster. His chief merit is his infinite variety. His louder 

 notes may be heard half a mile away on a still summer morning, 

 his lowest sounds are scarcely audible at a distance of twenty 

 yards. His purest sounds, which are very pure and bright, when 

 contrasted with various squealing and squeaking noises, seem not 

 to come from the same bird. . . . As a rule, when he has pro- 

 duced a beautiful note he will repeat it twice or thrice." While 

 the Blackbird is cunning and secret in his ways, creeping round 

 the roots of the yews and other shrubs, the Thrush boldly roams 

 across the fields. 



The Lark 



The songster most closely associated with the farmlands is 

 undoubtedly the Lark. He is the earliest rising of all the birds, 

 and when in full voice, as he is just about the time when the 

 young wheat is tall enough to cover him, he may be heard pour- 

 ing out his song before sunrise. He is not one to confine his 

 charms to his courting days, but has been heard in every month 

 of the year except September, his moulting time. It is in Spring 



