WILD BIRDS THROUGH THE YEAR 227 



am sure the typical thrush phrases are not worked up 

 to anything like perfection. But by and by there 

 comes a day in March when one stops to listen to a 

 song-thrush which is sweeter and completer than 

 any bird through the dull, exhausting winter. 



As for the missel-thrush, I do not distinguish 

 between the songs it sings in autumn, in winter, and 

 in spring. It may be more voluble and excited on 

 stormy spring days than on the quiet, sunny days 

 which it so often chooses for winter song, but the 

 difference seems to begin and end at this. The 

 missel-thrush, though incomparably behind the 

 song-thrush as a musician, is a better performer than 

 Mr. Charles Witchell, the most exact observer of 

 bird music, would allow. In his book, The Evolu- 

 tion of Bird-Song, he wrote of the missel-thrush as a 

 bad singer. The missel-thrush is not that, but he 

 is not in the same class with song-thrush and 

 blackbird. He is somewhat vague and desultory. 

 No thread runs through his lay. He has no true 

 air to pipe or whistle, nothing that the memory 

 seizes on. His notes are rather jumbled, too ; they 

 want more definition. 



Yet the piping note of the missel-thrush has 

 sweetness ; and this sweetness is to be tasted by a 

 listener all through the winter ; indeed, he sang, to 

 my ear, as well in December as he sings in March. 



The missel-thrush has the merit and the demerit 

 of sameness in song. He is a mediocrist in bird- 

 music who never sings a thoroughly bad song as 

 often in winter, a clattering, harsh-voiced song- 



