BIRDS OF THE PASTURE AND FOREST. 129 



singer. His performance is a sort of recitative, often re- 

 sembling spoken words rather than musical notes, many 

 of which are short and guttural. He seldom whistles 

 clearly, like the Eobin, but he produces a charming vari- 

 ety of tone and modulation. Some of his notes are 

 delivered rapidly, but every strain is followed by a mo- 

 mentary pause, resembling the discourse of a man who 

 speaks fast, but hesitates after every few words. He is 

 rapid, but not voluble. 



An ingenious shoemaker, named Wallace, whom I knew 

 in my early days, and who, like many others of his craft 

 when they worked alone or in small companies in their 

 own shops, and not by platoons as in a steam factory, was 

 a close observer of nature and mankind, gave me the 

 following words as those repeated by the Eed-Thrush: 

 " Look up, look up, — Glory to God, glory to God, — 

 Hallelujah, Amen, Videlicet." 



Thoreau, in one of his quaint descriptions, gives an off- 

 hand sketch of the bird, which I will quote : " Near at 

 hand, upon the topmost spray of a birch, sings the Brown- 

 Thrasher, or Eed Mavis, as some love to call him, — all 

 the morning glad of your society (or rather I should say 

 of your lands), that would find out another farmer's field 

 if yours were not here. While you are planting the seed, 

 he cries, ' Drop it, drop it, — cover it up, cover it up, — 

 pull it up, pull it up, pull it up.' " 



The Eed-Thrush is most musical in the early part of 

 the season, or in the month succeeding his arrival about the 

 middle of May ; the Veery is most vocal in June, and the 

 Song-Thrush in July. The Catbird begins early and 

 sings late, and fills out with his quaint notes the re- 

 mainder of the singing season, after the others, save the 

 Song-Thrush, have become silent. 



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