THE THROSTLE. I 37 



It is somewhat singular that the Thrush (Tztrdus musicus), 

 a bird as much famed for song as either the nightingale or 

 the lark, has been so little noticed by Shakespeare. We 

 have failed to discover more than three passages in the 

 entire works of our great poet in which this well-known 

 bird is mentioned. It is referred to once in A Winter's 

 Tale (Act iv. Sc. 2) ; once in Midsummer Night's Dream, 

 Act iii. Sc. 1, where Bottom the weaver, in a doggrel 

 rhyme, sings of — 



"The throstle, with his note so true ;" 



and once again in The Merchant of Venice (Act i. Sc. 2), 

 where Portia, speaking of the French Lord Le Bon, and 

 alluding to his national propensity for a dance on every 

 available opportunity, remarks that — 



" If a throstle sing, he falls straight a-capering." 



Many naturalists, who have paid particular attention to 

 the song of the thrush, have insisted upon its taking 

 equal rank as a songster with the more favoured nightin- 

 gale. Certain it is, that the notes of this bird, although 

 not so varied, nor so liquid, so to say, as those of 

 Philomel, are yet of a clear, rich tone, and have some- 

 thing indescribably sweet about them. "Listen," says 

 Macgillivray, "to the clear, loud notes of that speckled 

 warbler, that in the softened sunshine pours forth his 



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