APPENDIX. 163 
Big-TrRee Trrvsu. — Contin. 
Mr. Belding writes under date January 6, 1891 : — 
“T am familiar with the songs of the veery, of Mustelinus, 
and all which breed in Northern Pennsylvania. The tone of 
T. Sequotens?s is strikingly different from that of any thrush I 
know, though it is remarkable that its most frequent song has 
the identical intervals that the wood thrush has. I have lis- 
tened to the song of 7. Sequotensis many, many hours, usually 
toward evening, often when it was quite dark.” 
Tawny Thrush. (See p. 58.) 
“The song of this thrush is quaint, but not unmusical; variable in its 
character, changing from a prolonged and monotonous whistle to quick 
and almost shrill notes at the close. Their melody is not unfrequently 
prolonged until quite late in the evening, and in consequence in some 
portions of Massachusetts these birds are distinguished with the name of 
Nightingale, — a distinction due rather to the season than to the high qual- 
ity of their song. Yet Mr. Ridgway regards it, as heard by himself in Utah, 
as superior in some respects to that of all others of the genus, though far 
surpassed in mellow richness of voice and depth of metallic tone by that 
of the Wood Thrush (7. mustelinus). To his ear there was a solemn har- 
mony and a beautiful expression which combined to make the song of 
this surpass that of all the other American Wood Thrushes. The beauty 
of their notes appeared in his ears ‘really inspiring, their song consisting 
of an inexpressibly delicate metallic utterance of the syllables ta-weel’ ah, 
ta-weel’ ah, twil’ ah, twil’ ah, accompanied by a fine trill which renders it 
truly seductive.’ The last two notes are said to be uttered in a soft and 
subdued undertone, producing thereby, in effect, an echo of the others.” — 
Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway: North Amer. Birds. Land-Birds, vol. i. p. 10. 
Mr. Nelson regards the veery’s as the most “spiritual” of all bird- 
songs; Nuttall prefers the song of the wood-thrush. 
See Our Birds. (New Eng. Mag., vol. i. 1831, p. 332.) 
« All bird-songs are delicate things. It is impossible to 
represent them in all respects. One can give only the 
naked frame-work. The quality of tone and a thousand 
graceful touches can only be heard. If ever my bird-songs 
