200 FOOTING IT IN FRANCONIA 



So far as we could judge from our two 

 days' observation, the birds were most mu- 

 sical in the latter half of the afternoon, say 

 from four o'clock to six. Contrary to what 

 we should have expected, we saw absolutely 

 no ascensions in the early morning or after 

 sunset, although we did see more than one 

 at high noon. It is most likely, I think, 

 that the birds sing at all hours, as the spirit 

 moves them, just as the nightingale does, 

 and the hermit thrush and the vesper spar- 

 row. 



As for the quality and manner of the song, 

 with all my listening and studying I could 

 never hit upon a word with which to char- 

 acterize it. The tone is dry, guttural, inex- 

 pressive ; not exactly to be called harsh, per- 

 haps, but certainly not in any true sense of 

 the word musical. When we first heard it, 

 in the distance (let the qualification be 

 noted), the same thought came to both of 

 us, — a kingbird's formless, hurrying twit- 

 ters. There is no rhythm, no melody, no- 

 thing to be called phrasing or modulation, — 

 a mere jumble of " splutterings and chipper- 

 ings." Every note is by itself, having to my 



