24 
WOOD THRUSH. 
and returns to the south about the beginning of October. 
The lateness or earliness 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 sometimes no farther advanced 
on the 20th of April, at which time (e. g. this present year, 
1807) numbers of wood thrushes are seen flitting through the 
moist woody hollows, and a variety of the Motacilla genus 
chattering from almost every bush, with scarce an expanded 
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-tonguing of a German flute, and some- 
times 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 sunset. 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 wood thrush 
thrill through the dropping woods, from morning to night ; 
and it may truly be said, that the sadder the day the sweeter 
is his song. 
