Wayside Observations 147 



combined result was not what you would call a harmony, 

 but a medley, albeit a very pleasing one. If the wood 

 thrush's execution were less labored, he would certainly 

 be a marvelous songster, and even as it is, he furnishes 

 unending delight to those whose ears are trained to appre- 

 ciate avian minstrelsy. 



Two or three rose-breasted grossbeaks piped their 

 liquid, childlike arias; towhees, at least a half-dozen of 

 them, flung forth their loud, explosive trills that have a 

 real musical quality ; several cardinals whistled as if they 

 meant to drown out all the other voices ; scarlet and sum- 

 mer tanagers. drawled their good-natured tunes, while 

 their rich robes gleamed in the level rays of the rising sun; 

 running like silver threads through all the other music, 

 could be heard the fine trills of the field sparrows; the 

 swinging chant of the creeping warblers and the loud 

 rattle of the Tennessee warblers ran high up in the scale, 

 furnishing a gossamer tenor; that golden optimist, the 

 Baltimore oriole, piped his cheery recitative in the tops 

 of the trees; chickadees supplied the minor strains and 

 tufted titmice the alto ; four or five turtle doves soothed 

 the ear with their meditative cooing; while the calls and 

 songs of numerous jays and a few yellow-breasted chats 

 made a kind of trombone accompaniment. Surely it is 

 worth one's while to hie early to the haunts of the birds 

 to hear such a tumult of song. 



One spring I made up my mind to make a closer study 

 than ever of the dainty creeping warbler, wishing to know 

 just how he contrives to scuttle up and down the boles 



