128 BIRDS AND MAN 



of the sounds they emit have some notes that 

 suggest a highly brightened human voice. Wit- 

 ness the throstle and nightingale. The last ap- 

 proaches to the human voice in that rich, musical 

 throb, repeated many times with passion, which 

 is the invariable prelude to his song ; and again, 

 in that " one low piping note, more sweet than 

 all," four times repeated in a wonderfully beautiful 

 crescendo. Who that ever listened to Carlotta 

 Patti does not remember sounds like these from 

 her lips ? It was commonly said of her that her 

 voice was bird-like ; certainly it was clarified and 

 brightened beyond other voices in some of her 

 notes almost beyond recognition as a human voice. 

 It was a voice that had a great deal of the quality 

 of gladness in it, but less depth of human passion 

 than other great singers. Still, it was a human 

 voice ; and, just as Carlotta Patti (outshining the 

 best of her sister-singers even as the diamond 

 outsparkles all other gems) rose to the birds in 

 her miraculous flights, so do some of the birds 

 come down to and resemble us in their songs. 



If I am right in thinking that it is the human 

 note in the voices of some passerine birds that 

 gives a peculiar and very great charm to their 

 songs, so that an inferior singer shall please us 



