England.
Oxford, England.
1911.
July 5
( No 3 )
[July 5, 1911]

Song of the Blackbird

  As in 1891 I am inclined to place the Blackbird at the head of
all the British songsters that I have thus far heard; nor am I sure
we have his superior or even equal, among those of eastern North America.
It is true that his song lacks variety as compared with that of the
Song Thrush or even of the Robin (of England) but in respect to beauty,
refinement and perfection of finish it is simply incomparable. His voice
is a rich contralto, not loud yet carrying well and all-pervading when
the bird is in a grove or garden & the air calm. Each utterance consists
of not more than ten or a dozen notes given rapidly but very smoothly
and exquisitely modulated, seeming to flow from the bird's throat rather than
to be the result of conscious effort. After an interval of several seconds 
these notes are repeated, with more or less appreciable variations both in
form and inflection. The song has at times a dreamy quality as if the bird were indulging in musical reverie, which
is most delightful. To my mind it combines the rich, flowing quality of
the song of our Rose-breasted Grosbeak with much of the spirited quality
of the song of our Hermit Thrush. It bears no resemblance whatever, either in
form or expression, to the song of our Robins. The bird seems to shun human observations
at all times and to sing chiefly in the dense foliage of trees or thickets, flitting from place to place between
successive utterances or at least changing the positions rather frequently, after the manner of our Olive-backed Thrush.
I saw one sing to-day, however, on a leafless branch, in broad sunlight and when it flew to another tree 
it sang on wing as it passed over a walled garden.