The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-03
TIE SHY TEERY.


Shyest Of all the thrushes summering in this
region is the veery. He is heard occasionally
in Central Park. oftener in Prospect Park and
daily in the woodlands of tho northern sub
urbs. but he is ordinarily seen in none OF these
places. Persons who have long been familiar
with the song Of the bird confess that they
have never knowingly set eyes on him. and any
student OF the veery not possessed OF abun-
dant time and patience will do well to abandon
the attempt to come up with the living bird.
and content himself with the sight of the
stuffed specimen at the Museum OF Natural
History.
The student with abundant time and pa
thence NAV perhaps fall in with the veery by
pcrsistently haunting the Bathgate woods up
at Wakefield Whether the patient watcher will
be rewarded with n glimpse OF the bird in the
act OF singing Is more than doubtful. for the
music is almost as elusive rs echo itself. The
ringing spiral often pcnetrates the woodland
wall and reaches the ears Of suburbantes in
their homes. but the bird loves the deep thick
cts. the region penetrated only by cowpaths and
seldom visited by human beings. save lads
that gather berries He never sings in the
open. Unlike his halfdomesticated cousin the
woodthrnsh. ne sings not IN the gardens or
times the songs OF three or four veeries are
intermngled; and it seems absurd that the
listener should not easily come upon at least
one OF tho birds: but the alurng voice re-
cedes as the listener advances. until he real
ICES that he must sit patiently in the shadow
until the birds fears are lulled and he pipes
up somewhere within sight. A young woman
who studies birds reports that she has brought
the veeries about her by initiating their song.
but while 1t is easy enough TO give crude int
tatiOn of tho veery's song II Is hard to believe
that the bird would not miss the exquisite
qualities OF his own notes in human nimicry.
When the student does come upon the veery
he will know the bird by his size. Cons ider-
ably under that of the familiar woodthrush by
his color. on the back light olive brown. tinged
with gold on the breast. a delicate buff marked
| with not very distinct wedge sha ped spots.
| characteristic OF many thrushes and by his eN-
IRENE timldity. His ordinary call Is a clear
whistle entirely unlike his song
While ii ia impossible to convey IN words any
! adequate notion OF the sweetness OF the yecrys
| song it Is not di fficult SO to describe II that
| any observant person would recognize 1t at
| first hearing The woodland has no other
! The bird Is name repeated rapidly three times
| in succession has a crude csembance to It's
song. and in fact, the name was given TO the
| bird on this account. A clever whistler. by
| slight opening left. and at the same time rap
! idly vibrating the tongue between the lower
| teeth and the ridge Just behind the upper
| teeth, NAV produce sound that has strong
! superficial resem biance 70 the song OF me
/ yeery: but no human effort can reproduce the
| pure ringing sweetness OF the birds music;
| Heard at early morning, when the whole bird
orchestra is sounding, it gives the last touch OF
| a!oofnesB to the suburban world; Heard occa-
| sonally at noon. when most OF the other birds
! are silent. it seems to speak Of uneXplored.
| unguessed woodland depths. and to carry the
| suburbs miles from the town, Heard at dusk,
when the woodthrush. perched high, Is hymn
ing the sunken sun. II comes IKE ah iny,ItaIIon
| cares 80 that the bird seems the Lorelel OF the
suburban woodlands.