1891.
Sept. 7
(No 3)
Trip to Hawthornden & Rosslyn.
Scotland.
Edinburgh. - and a great many Robins. The
last were singing freely and during the
whole morning we were rarely out of sound
of their voices. There is something very
attractive to my ear about the song of this
bird but as I have heard it to late 
it cannot be rated as of high musical
excellence. It t is sprightly, varied and blithe
but the tones are seldom very rich or pure.
Some of the notes recall those of our 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, others the warble
of an immature Purple Finch. The Robin
sings for many minutes in succession
with only brief pauses between the bars 
of the song. It is singularly tame or 
rather confiding. We stood within less than
twenty feet of one this morning which
was sitting on a low branch nearly over the
path  singing steadily and apparently taking
no notice whatever of our near presence. A
stray sunbeam rested on his brick-red throat
bringing out this color very vividly.
  The Blackbirds and Thrushes seem to have
disappeared. I seldom see and never hear either
species now. They must keep very closely hidden.
  While waiting for the train at Rosslyn Station
this evening I walked across the track to the
edge of a large  grass field surrounded by woods.
The sun was setting & the air breathlessly still.
Yet I listened for minutes without hearing a sound
of bird or insect. The place seemed absolutely devoid
of all animal or insect life.