THE MASTERS OF MELODY. 95 



Its "song" is declamatory rather than reminiscent; 

 more in the nature of thankfulness and insistence 

 that life is more sunshine than shadow ; the re- 

 verse of all which is the burden of the melancholy 

 thrushes. 



Not once in twenty-one consecutive years have 

 two pairs of these birds failed to appear near my 

 house and remain during the summer. I might call 



Thrasher. 



them high and low birds ; for those on the east side 

 always build well up from the ground, while the west 

 side pair build on the ground or near it. Otherwise 

 there is no perceptible difference. They sing in the 

 same way, with equal emphasis, and live with such 

 regularity that they may be looked upon as feathered 

 almanacs. They come together, sing at the same 

 early summer date, and then substitute for their music 



