Birds. 



7827 



the wonder of many naturalists, and much has been written on the 

 subject ; my own opinion is that some peculiar insects, the main object 

 of its food and search, must be the cause, and not the climate of the 

 circumscribed district, which it inhabits during the five months of its 

 sojourn in England. Experiments have been tried, in Scotland, to alter 

 their range of flight by placing the eggs of these birds in the nest of 

 the robin. The young nightingales have been hatched and flown 

 from these nests, but have never returned to Scotland, nor have 

 they been heard to sing there, nor in the counties of Northum- 

 berland, Durham or Lancashire, and little proof even in Yorkshire. 

 The greatest puzzle to me is why they are not plentiful near Exeter, 

 as one would think, from the mildness of the climate of Devon and the 

 dryness of some of its air, the same food would be found as in the 

 adjoining counties of Somerset and Dorset. 



Song Thrush {Tardus musicus). Dr. Bechstein says that in Ger- 

 many, where he lived, the thrush is a migrating bird, but it is not so 

 in England, as it is to be seen in our gardens in the most severe winters, 

 and, as I mentioned before, sings in a mild winter in December and 

 January. In a trip I took to Ostend a bird followed the steamer for 

 several hours after leaving Ramsgate, and about little more than half 

 way across it became so tired that it settled on the rigging of the vessel, 

 within four yards of the deck. I examined it and found it was a thrush. 

 On coming near the Flemish shore it immediately took wing towards 

 Ostend. This happened in the month of July. A single bird is often 

 known to take a flight of this sort, as observed by seafaring men. 

 Dr. Bechstein says " The melody of birds, like the fragrance of 

 flowers cannot be [properly] described ; it must be listened to, and 

 that by one whose senses are properly attuned to outward harmony by 

 an indwelling and abiding love of the beautiful and the pure in Nature : 

 to him the soaring lark will seem indeed to pour forth at ' heaven's 

 gate' a morning hymn of praise, and the nightingale to chant, amid 

 the leafy woodlands, a vesper song of thankfulness; the full chorus of 

 feathered minstrelsy will be to him like an angel choir, scattering 

 melody on all around, which sinks in the soul like summer rain into 

 the earth, gladdening and refreshing it ; " and, as Broderip expresses 

 it also, " The melody of birds finds its way to the heart of every one." 

 I place our beautiful indigenous song thrush next to the nightingale. 

 The thrush has at least eleven varieties of note, some of them very 

 sweet and plaintive, and possesses great execution. I never could 

 reckon more than fifteen or sixteen varieties of note in the unrivalled 

 song of the nightingale. I need say but little of either of these 



