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WOOD THRUSH. 



This sweet and solitary songster inhabits the whole of Nortli 

 America from Hudson's bay to the peninsula of Florida. He arrives 

 in Pennsylvania about the 20th of April, or soon after; and returns 

 to the south about the beginning of October. The lateness or ear- 

 liness of the season seems to make less difference in the times of 

 arrival of our birds of passage than is generally imagined. Early 

 in April the woods are often in considerable forwardness, and scarce 

 a summer bird to be seen. On the other hand vegetation is some- 

 times no fartiier advanced on the 20th of April, at which time {e, g\ 

 this present year 1807) numbers of Wood Thrushes are seen flit- 

 ting through the moist woody hollows ; and a variety of the Mota- 

 cilla genus chattering from almost every bush, with scarce an ex- 

 panded leaf to conceal them. But at whatever time the Wood 

 Thrush may arrive, he soon announces his presence in the woods. 

 With the dawn of the succeeding morning, mounting to the top of 

 some tall tree that rises from a low thick-shaded part of the woods, 

 he pipes his few but clear and musical notes in a kind of ecstasy; 

 the prelude, or symphony to which, strongly resembles the double- 

 tongueing of a German flute, and sometimes the tinkling of a small 

 bell; the whole song consists of five or six parts, the last note of 

 each of which is in such a tone as to leave the conclusion evidently 

 suspended; the finale is finely managed, and with such charming 

 effect as to soothe and tranquillize the mind, and to seem sweeter 

 and mellower at each successive repetition. Rival songsters, of 

 the same species, challenge each other from different parts of the 

 wood, seeming to vie for softer tones and more exquisite responses. 

 During the burning heat of the day, they are comparatively mute ; 

 but in the evening the same melody is renewed, and continued long 

 after sun-set. Those who visit our woods, or ride out into the 

 country at these hours, during the months of May and June, will be 

 at no loss to recognize, from the above description, this pleasing 

 musician. Even in dark, wet and gloomy weather, when scarce a 

 single chirp is heard from any other bird, the clear notes of the 



