The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-08-19

Like most Americans Interested in
birds and books, lSlknowSa good dead
about English birds as they appear In
books. know the lark OF Shake.
speare and Shelley and the Ettrick
Shepherd; ! know theInghti ngsiel of
Milton and Keats; IEknow Words
worth's cuckoo; know mavis' and
MERLE singing In the merry green wood
Of the old ballads; ] know. Jenny Wren
and Cock Robin Of the nursery books.
Therefore have always much desired
to hear the birds in real life: and the
opportunity offered last June. AS 1
could snatch but few hours from n
very exacting round OF pleasures and
duties. ii. was necessary for me TO be
with some companion who could iden.
tify both song and singer. In Sir
Edward Grey. keen lover of outdoor
life in all its phases. and delight
full companion. who knows the, songs
and ways Of English birds as very few
do know them. found the best pos.
sible guide.
We left London on the morning, sof
June 8. "a hours before ! sailed from
Southampton. Getting of the train ut
Basingstoke. we drove to- the pretty,
smiling valley OF the Itchen. Here
we tramped for three or four hours
then again drove, this time to the edge
OF the New Forest, where we first
f0ok fao NJ On INN ,pd thew tr,n,nnd
through the forest to an inn on It's oh.
er side, at Brockenhurst. At the,cons
clusion Of our walk mys companion
made list Of the birds we had seen,
putting an asterisk opposite those
which We had heard sing. There were
II Of the former and % of the latter.
as follows:
'Thrush, 'B.ackbird. clark, sYellow
Hammer, 'RobIn, 'Wren, sGolden
Crested Wren, sGoldfinch, "Greenfnch,
Pied Wagtail. Sparrow, "sDInnock
hedge Accentor), Mlssel Thrush,
Startling. Rock, Jackdaw, sBlack Cap,
Garden Warbler, 'Willow Warbler,
schif chaff, wood Warbler. Stree
Creeper. Freed Bunting, 'sedge War.
bier, Coot, Water Hen, Little Grebe
(Dabchick), Tufted Duck, Wood RI.
geon, Stock Dove, sTurtle Dove, Pee
wit, Tit t?coal Tit). 'Cuckoo, 'Night.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Swift. Pheasant.
Partridge $
The bird that most impressed me
on my walk was the blackbird. had
already heard nightlngales Any abuii.
dance near Lake Como. and had also
listened to larks. but had never heard
either the blackbIrd, the song thrush,
or the black cap warbler; and whilssI
knew all three were good singers,
| did not know what really beau.
uful singers they were, Blackbirds
were very abundant, and they played u
prominent part in the chorus @hteh We
heard throughout the day; on. EeyetSI
hand, though perhaps lo1aest the aol.
lowing morning at dawn. In;its is
and manners. the blackbird 5strikihgls.
resembles our American robin, and III:
deed looks exactly like aafobin, With
yellow bill and coal.blaek plunlage.
1t, hops everywhere over fthei lawns,
Just as our robin does. and lives In
nests in the gardens In thessame fash.
Ion. Its song has a general fresem.
blance TO that OF our robtns hut many
OF the notes are far more smGsis al,
more like those OF our wood thrush.
Indeed there were individuals among
those We head certain otF whose iiotes
seemed to me almost to equal in pnint
OF melody the chimes OF the wood
thrush; and the highest possible praise
for any song bird is to liken It's song
to that OF the wood thrush or hermit
thrush. certainly do not think that
the blackbird has received full Justice
in the books. ! knew that 1t was a
singer, but ! really had noyidea how
fine singer he was. suppose one OF
hi; troubles has been his name, Just
as with our own cat bird. When he
appears in the ballads as the merle,
bracketed with his cousin, the mavis,
the song thrush. 1t is far. easier to rec.
ignize him as the master singer that
he is. 1t is fine thing for England
to have such an asset OF the country.
side. bird SO common, SO much In eyi.
dence. SO fearless, and such a really
beautiful singer.
The most musical singer we heard
was the black cap warbler. To my
my ear its song seemed more musical
than that Of the nightingale. It was
astonishingly powerful for SO small a
Bird. in volume and continuity It does
not come up to the songs OF q the
thrushes and of certain other birds.
but In quality. as an isolated bit of
melody, 1t can hardly be surpassed.
Among the minor. singers the robin
was noticeable. We all know this
pretty. little bird from. the books. and
| was prepared to find him as friendly
and attractive as he proved TO be, but
| had not realized how well he sang.
No Cause for AIarn, 4G,5.