THE SINGERS 51 



has not sung many minutes ere the song thrush takes 

 a high twig on a neighbouring oak or fir, and the 

 musical duel begins. Now is the time, without de- 

 preciating the missel, to appreciate the song thrush. 

 Say the song thrush is for a song thrush an aver- 

 age performer ; and the missel thrush at the top of his 

 strength if missel thrushes vary distinctly in song 

 strength. Listening to these rivals, it seems to me 

 that individual notes of the missel are as pure and 

 good as individual notes of the song thrush. I cannot 

 give the missel thrush notes a name, or syllable them, 

 but all who know the missel thrush can agree that it 

 has some good notes. Also the missel thrush is free 

 from harsh, clattering passages which to our ear 

 are quite without beauty of sound. Such clattering, 

 dinning passages are rarely absent from the song 

 thrush's lay ; they seem notes of anger or agitation 

 put to musical purpose. The blackbird as if more 

 fastidious in song never, I think, uses any of his 

 chink or cackle for song, nor does the missel thrush 

 bring in his jar or rattle. 



Here, then, missel thrush compares well with song 

 thrush ; he has individual notes as good, and he has 

 no harsh passages. But all the rest is with the song 

 thrush. The missel thrush's lay is a series of little 

 jumbled passages, each lasting three or four seconds. 

 To my ear, one passage is quite like another. The 

 song cannot be syllabled, and nothing is very definite 

 about it. No distinctive melody or tune runs through 



