THE WOOD THRUSH. 



( Tti rdus m ustelin us ) 



Mr. Chapman has beautifully ex- 

 pressed the character of this woodland 

 songster. He says : 'The Wood 

 Thrush is a lovable bird, with a voice 

 suited to his gentle disposition. * * * 

 His calm, restful song rings through 

 the woods like a hymn of praise ris- 

 ing 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." Who, that has 

 heard the song of the Wood Thrush, 

 can fail to desire a more intimate ac- 

 quaintance with ''God's out-of-doors." 

 Its "flutelike opening notes are an in- 

 vitation to his haunts ; a call from Na- 

 ture to yield ourselves to the ennobling 

 influences of the forest." Come to 

 me, he sings in tenor notes of won- 

 derful sweetness. The exquisite qual- 

 ity of the tone of his song cannot be 

 described by words, it must be heard. 

 It has been called a "Symphony in Na- 

 ture," but its character is much more 

 that of a tone poem. Hearing such a 

 song, wafted on the air, one cannot 

 fail to witness "The gladness of Na- 

 ture" and say with Mr. Bryant: 



There's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower, 

 There's a titter of winds in that beachen 

 tree, 

 There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on 

 the flower, 

 And a laugh from the brook that runs to 

 the sea. 



There is a richness, a depth of in- 

 spiration, a pure melodious quality in 

 the liquid notes of the Wood Thrush's 

 song that is indescribably fascinating. 

 Mr. Wilson speaks of the "prelude, or 

 symphony" of its song as strongly re- 

 sembling "the double-tonguing of a 

 German flute, and sometimes the tink- 

 ling of a small bell; the whole song 

 consists of five or six parts, the last 

 note of each of which is in such a 

 tone as to leave the conclusion evidently 

 suspended; the finale is finely managed, 

 and with such charming effect as to 



soothe and tranquilize the mind, and to 

 seem sweeter and mellower at each 

 successive repetition." It seems strange 

 indeed that while this beautiful bird 

 and its entrancing song have appealed 

 to the writers of prose they have not 

 inspired, at least to any great extent, 

 verse from the pens of our greater 

 poets. 



While the Wood Thrush is by Nature 

 a woodland bird, it will also frequent 

 the shaded lawns, avenues and parks 

 of our cities and towns. This is espe- 

 cially true during its migrations. If 

 we may so speak of bird life, this gen- 

 tle bird shows high breeding. It is 

 royally graceful in every motion, and 

 even its confidence in the good will of 

 man is expressed by a quiet dignity 

 and watchfulness. It sometimes seems 

 unconscious of our presence but if the 

 observer becomes too bold it is ever 

 ready to fly to the protecting shelter 

 of trees. Its daintiness is even shown 

 when it is feeding. An observer has 

 said: "A wriggling beetle is eaten as 

 daintily as caviare at the king's table." 

 The only time that the Wood Thrush 

 seems at all spiteful or excited is when 

 its nest is approached too closely. Then 

 its anxiety is expressed by the sharply 

 uttered and rapidly repeated notes pit, 

 pit, pit, pit, the sound of which has 

 been likened to the striking of pebbles 

 together. But even in its excited mo- 

 ments, this bird does not lack in dignity 

 and grace. Approach the Wood Thrush 

 in its forest retreats and it will use 

 the same note as 3. quiet call of in- 

 quiry, or possibly of greeting, as it 

 comes toward you. 



While the range of the Wood Thrush 

 covers nearly the whole of the United 

 States east of the Great Plains, it is 

 altogether too true that its admirable 

 habits and character are known to but 

 few persons other than those who are 

 close students of bird-life. Its song may 

 be familiar as one of a woodland 



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