ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 397 



Next to the Song Thrush, and in some places equalling it 

 in numbers, was the Blackbird, a Thrush duplicating our 

 Robin in size and form but with jet black plumage and a 

 golden bill, and more trim and alert in appearance. To lin- 

 ear the Blackbird is the most satisfying of English songs- 

 ters. Its luscious, full-flavored, mellow Anting has, in a 

 measure, the tender, spiritual quality so pronounced in the 

 voices of our Thrashes, and which I found rare in the songs 

 of English birds. There is, too, something naive, unformed, 

 quaint and simple in the Blackbird's notes, which increases 

 both the attractiveness of the song and of the songster. 



The Missel Thrush, the third of the trio of common 

 breeding Thrushes, was now feeding nearly Hedged young 

 and had ceased singing, an indication of how much earlier 

 passerine birds nest in England than in our noddle eastern 

 states. 



In spite of an effort not to use preconceived ideals as a 

 standard for the actual thing, I could not conceal from my- 

 self a disappointment in the song of the Skylark. While 

 one cannot but be impressed with the passionate energy 

 which carries the bird hundreds of feet into the air, there to 

 sing, without a moment's pause, for sometimes ten or 

 twelve minutes, I felt that the bird would sing better if he 

 did not sing so much. He sings both when exhaling and in- 

 haling, and seems often to be out of breath. The result is a 

 marvelous vocal feat surely, but the bird's brilliant twitter- 

 ings and long-drawn reelings (I could think of no better 

 word with which to describe a marked character of its song) 

 did not appeal to me. 



But one can readily imagine that the song of this exceed- 

 ingly abundant and widely distributed bird might become 



" Better than all measures 

 Of delightful sound. 

 Better than all treasures 

 That in 'books are found," 



and before leaving England I found myself listening to it 

 with increasing pleasure. 



