Concert of 
Wood_Thrushes 
this evening were particularly good performers while one 
was preeminently fine. On the other hand, a. bird singing in 
the hemlocks 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. Indeed 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 
not sotto voce singing. On the contrary, the poor bird was 
quite evidently exerting himself to the utmost as if striving 
to outdo his rivals in the woods across the swamp. Was he 
conscious of the lamentable failure or, like certain human 
singers equally devoid of musical ability, did he delude 
himself into the belief that he was really producing melo¬ 
dious sounds? It occurred to me that possibly he might be 
deaf and like deaf mutes of our own species incapable alike 
of appreciating or correcting the painful discords of his 
voice. Certainly the case was one of the most extreme of 
its kind that has ever come under my notice. 
Vciark 1 s woods evidently form about the centre of 
distribution of a colony of Wood Thrushes larger than I 
have hitherto found in any part of Middlesex County. I heard 
in all to-night no less than seven singers and there are to 
my certain knowledge nearly as many more to the east of the 
Estabrook Road. Indeed I have little doubt that upwards of 
