132 BIRDS AND MAN 



the second song, heard occasionally until late 

 June, sometimes uttered on the wing — a torrent 

 of loud, rapidly uttered, and somewhat swaUow- 

 like notes — that comes nearest in tone to the 

 human voice, and has the greatest charm. 



After these, we find other songsters with one 

 or two notes, or a phrase, human-like in quahty, 

 in their songs. Of these I will only mention the 

 blackcap, linnet, and tree -pipit. The most 

 beautiful of the blackcap's notes, which come 

 nearest to the blackbird, have this human sound ; 

 and certainly the most beautiful part of the 

 linnet's song is the opening phrase, composed of 

 notes that are both swallow-like and human-like. 



It may appear strange to some readers that I 

 put the tree-pipit, with his thin, shriU, canary- 

 like pipe, in this list ; but his notes are not aU of 

 this character ; he is moreover a most variable 

 singer ; and it happens that in some individuals 

 the concluding notes of the song have more of 

 that peculiar human quality than any other 

 British songster. No doubt it was a bird in 

 which these human-like, languishing notes at the 

 close of the song were very fuU and beautiful 

 that inspired Burns to write his "Address to a 



