THE MARSH WARBLER'S MUSIC 207 



beds where they are known to breed to do the mowing 

 at the end of May instead of in the middle of June or 

 later. This could be best done by local bird-protect- 

 ing societies in Gloucestershire and Somerset and in 

 other counties where colonies may be found. 



Certainly no sweet songster in Britain is better 

 worth preserving than the marsh warbler. I should 

 class it as one of our four greatest — blackbird, nightin- 

 gale, skylark, marsh warbler. The blackbird is first 

 because of the beautiful quality of its voice and its 

 expression, due to its human associations. The marsh 

 warbler compared with lark and nightingale has a 

 small voice, which does not carry far, but in sweetness 

 he is the equal of any and in variety excels them all. 

 It could not be otherwise, since he is able to borrow 

 the songs of the others, even of the best. He is 



That cheerful one who knoweth all 

 The songs of all the winged choristers, 

 And in one sequence of melodious sound 

 Pours all their music. 



Thus wrote Southey of the American bird in one of 

 the very few quotable passages in the vast volume of 

 his numerous epics : his three or four happy lines are 

 worth more as giving the bird its characteristic ex- 

 pression, than all the verses of the transatlantic poets 

 on the subject. 



The mocking-bird, I may say here, is a powerful 

 singer, and I noticed that in listening to the white- 

 winged mocking-bird of Patagonia, which I believe 

 to be the greatest of the genus, he subdued or smalled 



