THRUSH, WOOD 



Its large size, heavily spotted breast and the rich golden 

 brown of its back, brightest on its head, distinguish it 

 from the other thrushes. 



FLORENCE A. MERRIAM. Birds of Village and Field. 1 



He is truly a royal minstrel, and considering his liberal 

 distribution throughout our Atlantic seaboard, perhaps 

 contributes more than any other bird to our sylvan melody. 



BURROUGHS. Wake Robin. 5 



His calm, restful song rings through the woods like a 

 hymn of praise rising pure and clear from a thankful heart. 

 It is a message of hope and good cheer in the morning, 

 a benediction at the close of day. 



The flute-like opening notes, "Come to me," are an 

 invitation to his haunts; a call from Nature to yield our- 

 selves to the ennobling influences of the forest. 



CHAPMAN. Handbook of Birds. 21 



The wood thrush, having mounted to a perch so high 

 that his outbursts of heavenly music shall not be confined 

 to earth or lost in the surrounding shrubbery, pours out 

 such a melody that he seems at every utterance "to be 

 endeavoring to recall his very soul, that fled to heaven 

 on the winged notes of his last liquid melody. " 



MINOT. Land and Game Birds. 20 



There may be sweeter sounds the wide world over, 

 but he is blessed that has heard this one. 



ABBOTT. Birds About Us. 27 



157 



