86 Bird -Lore 



on one occasion when suddenh^ joined b\^ his mate, the metallic over- 

 tones were less prominent, and in certain of the key varieties they were 

 nearly absent. The long opening notes were the freest, the high, rapid 

 ones the most burdened with overtones. At their worst the highest figures 

 were occasionally almost squeaky, but in the full song they were by no 

 means lacking in sweetness, and they were always clear and sharp. 



Heard from a very close range the long, full notes were fairly piercing' 

 so sweet, full and vibrant were they. They were too loud for comfort, 

 and when the bird suddenly began to sing while perched on a fence about 

 ten feet from my tent it fairly made my ears ring. 



The most characteristic feature of the song in the line of vocal modu- 

 lation was as simple as the phrase itself, but equally effective. The 

 opening long note was struck firmly and held sometimes with a slight 

 crescendo, but the succeeding rapid figures were progressively diminished 

 in loudness, until the last clearly uttered notes faded away in a silvery 

 tinkle. This smorzando or diminuendo utterance was almost habitual with 

 the "Camp Thrush," and was indescribably effective. It suggested the 

 modulation of the piano player, .since it surpassed in extent of diminution 

 and in delicacy of utterance at the end anything within the compass of a 

 wind instrument. But the piano smorzando would lack the crescendo on 

 the opening note. 



The whole song was vigorous and sure in delivery, slow — since the 

 phrases, taking at the most two and a half seconds in delivery, were 

 separated by four to six seconds of silence — but perfectly steady in tempo, 

 and certain in execution. The unusual richness and vibrant power of the 

 tone, enhanced by the effective smorzando utterances of successive phrases, 

 with the never-failing alternation of key and pitch, marked the song off 

 from any other sound of the Canadian woods. 



This bird was by no means unusual, nor, on the contrary, identical with 

 others of his species. His nearest neighbor differed from him in several 

 marked ways, being less regular in song-form, having much more variety 

 in his phrases, using minor as well as major keys, being less distinct and 

 finished in utterance although rather sweeter in voice, singing a little more 

 slowly and a little less loudly, being rather inferior in penetration, and not 

 using the smorzanda delivery so much. But both were master-singers. 



