Turdus mustelinus. 



1892. Mass . 



July 16. Concord.- Twilight was falling when I heard Wood Thrushes sing- Isod- 

 (N0.4) ing and. one of the V^ood Thrushes sang for fourteen minutes, afte Thrushqs^ 



the first Whippoorwill began. The last song of the Wood Thrush 



was heard at precisely 8.01 when it was nearly dark. 



July 30. Concord .- The concert of Wood Thrushes was simply the finest Concert 

 that I ever listened to. There were three of them close about AoQ^ 

 me at one time and they fairly made the woods ring. With this Thrusnei 

 species as with the Hermit there is much individual variation in 

 quality of voice and variety and ease of execution a..d as it 

 happened all three of the birds in ClarK's woods this e--ening 

 were particularly good performers while one was preeminently 

 fine. On the other hand a bird singing inthe hemloclvs on the 

 opposite (eastern) side of the adjoining swamp had a voice so 

 effectually" veiled" that I was actually unaware of his presence 

 until I came nearly under the tree in which he was sitting. In- 

 deea the odd medley of low, wheezy gasps, catarrhal squeaks and 

 clucks, and thin, feeble whistles, not one note of which was 

 either musical or pleasing, was wholly inaudible at a distance 



Of fifty yards. It was ^'sotto voce singing. On the contrary 



the poor bird was evidently exerting himself to the utmost as if 



striving to outdo his rivals in the -woods across the swamp. Was 



certain 



he conscious of the lai'ientable failure or, lilce^ human singers 



A 



equally devoid of musical ability^ did he delude himself with the 



