564 English Birds compared with American. [ August, 
A more fascinating poet to me, however, whose song was full 
of sentiment and most individual (and curiously enough the only 
new type of bird-song that I heard while abroad), was the wood 
lark. To hear him as I did, you must wander on some heath, and 
to enjoy him must be near: his delicate notes are but weak, if 
feebly heard. The bird, easily distinguished on wing by, his 
smaller size, cocked tail, and much shorter flight, does not even 
seem to circle, but rises at one angle and falls at another. His 
song is the repetition of a delicate whistle (ch'weé), shrill at first, 
intensifying as the bird rises, and, as he drops, falling in tone and 
pitch, so as to die away upon the ear. It is exquisite. 
Another singer of high repute is the song thrush. Her beau- 
tiful music is most like our brown thrush’s, with something, how- 
ever, of a wood thrush flavor; but it has less variety and occa- 
sional harsh notes. The blackbird’s music, though often more 
nearly whistled, is very similar, but, I think, is finer, being richer 
and more liquid: at times it is exceedingly delightful. The wren 
sings with characteristic sweetness and power: her little outburst 
distinctly suggests that of our wood wren (and the canary’s too); 
but it is slenderer in every way. Then, the blackcap’s song is 
sweet, joyous, and rather varied; yet it seemed to me of no great 
merit, though altogether very pleasing. Of the linnet, perhaps most 
esteemed as a cage-bird, we have various representatives ; and of 
the chaffinch, most celebrated as the pinson of the French, I 
must say that he is a tiresome little bird: he is pretty, and so is 
his song; but, from its monotonous simplicity and abundant re- — 
petition, it becomes wearisome. : 
Robin redbreast is charming, both in himself, and because he’s 
not unlike the blue bird, whom his plaintive little warble oft 
recalled, besides suggesting to my mind the meadow lark. It 
may sound feeble and shrill, at times; but hear it in a church or 
- ivied ruin, and its repeated tenderness, neither joyous nor sad, at 
once creates an association that gives it a perpetual charm. The 
redbreasts, being hardy, insectivorous, peaceable and pleasing, 
might, I believe, have been introduced into this country a few 
years ago with great satisfaction. As to the house sparrow, such 
as we did import, having gone abroad in part for change and rest, 
I did not undertake to study them while there, or to gather home- 
opinions on them; but I was delighted, almost my first day 
among English birds, to meet a genuine old Englishwoman who 
