Birds. ' 7829 



lark is small, and his variety of notes few, but the clearness is perfect 

 and mellifluous. 



Titlark [Anthus pratensis). A pretty little lively bird, which may be 

 seen and heard in almost every parish in England,in May, June and part 

 of July. Sprightly and lively to a degree, with no great compass of voice, 

 the paucity of these birds seen in confinement pretty well shows how 

 far they are favourites, and they are nearly as constant to the locality 

 of their breeding place as the skylark. The Utlark has a pleasing 

 variety of song, between the skylark and woodlark, but|^inferior to 



both. 



Robin {Sylvia ruhecula). This bird is an exception to all the 

 singing birds, for, unless the weather is very severe or very temperate, 

 it sings almost every week in the year. Although a rather monotonous 

 song it is a mixture of the serious and sublime. The robin is admired 

 by many as a first-rate singing bird. 



Fauvette or Pettichaps {Sylvia ?). This little bird, often 



mistaken for the blackcap, visits our gardens and delights us with its 

 song. It is nearly of the same fidgety nature as its migrating con- 

 gener, but not so loud. It is a deadly devourer of currants and rasp- 

 berries, the latter particularly. If these birds want their throats 

 moistened in the month of June they do not keep them long dry, for 

 they are most mischievously active ; few grudge them their robbing, 

 except the market gardeners. 



Missel Thrush or Storm Cock {Turdus mscivorus). This, the largest 

 singing bird in England, is a great favourite with me. It has often 

 been mistaken, even by persons who have resided in the country all 

 their lives, for the blackbird, but it is of course very different and very 

 inferior • one or two notes of the missel thrush are like those of the 

 blackbird. It sings in the most tempestuous weather, and I heard one 

 last year during a perfect hurricane, in the month of January, perched 

 on a tree about thirty feel from the ground. It had its face to the wind, 

 and seemed to enjoy the tempest. Its pretty wild chant, although 

 wanting in variety and compass, has something very grand in it, both 

 during a storm and during a lull after a storm. It is very fond of a 

 high Italian poplar or an elm for its song. When surprised by seeing 

 an enemy it utters a coarse scream. I hope this was the sound my 

 old neighbour, Mr. Knapp, in his ' Journal of a Naturalist ' mistook 

 for the song, which he designated a " coarse sound." I certainly am 

 one of those who reckon the missel thrush a really eccentric and 

 pleasing bird, as he sings when no other bird attempts it, but then it 

 generally happens that the bird is not so often heard as many others, 



