Evening star., 1932-05-05

, tinet portions: but, as with most birds,
| there is no law about it, someames he
sings but three phrases before beginning
the whole thing over again.
X X X
The song of the thrush, therefore,
may be regarded as one song or as three
or four songs Perhaps all bird songs
are to be listened to in the same way
| that Is, what seems to the listener
varied song Is in reality several song
lets.
In this fine music, speaking Of woods
and streams and moonlight. the thrush
takes no conscious part. He Is but an
instrument, uttering his notes because
he has to. a part Of Natures efforts at
self-expression. 1
He speaks for Nature and Is Natures
voice.
This song, one thought, is just as
much a part of him as that spotted
chest. and precisely in the same way.
He had nothing to do with the selec-
ton of the spots, he has nothing TO 40
with the choice Of song, or even Oh
whether he shall sing.
He sits there and sings, that Is all,
until darkness deScendS.
Now watch him as he finishes his
first phrase, the first phrase OF MS
Scng.
He was singing to the east.
Now he hons around gravely and
stands with his bill pointing south.
His chest initiates, his two-fold soft
cluck strikes the ear, then his throat
gulps twice and he sends forth his clear,
almost double. trill.
Now he turns to the west and repeats
the performance.
Just before hopping around to face
north he strikes his bill rapidly twice
on a small branch to one side OF hlm.
This seems to whet his appetite for
Song, for now he launches that remark
able harmonic with which he likes to
end his song, shrill yet soft, sound Of
sheer ecstasy which gives the listener
the impression that he wants to outdo
all his previous efforts.
X
But we have Just said that the thrush
has nothing to do with his singing, In
a sense, his song is as unconscious as his
very bill. or brown back, or spotted
breast. Is it ecstasy
In the interest of truth and justice
there should be no writing on Nature
which attempts to read into the animals
and the birGs thoughts. ideas or even
sentiments akin to those which play
such large part in the lives Of human
beings.
Sometimes II is almost impossible to
avoid doing this, and in a great many
instances no harm at all is done. espe-
cially when the writing Is in the In
terests Of the creature. 1t probably
will make many readers listen for
thrush music, il they are told that the
thrush loves to sing, and that he gets
real kick out OF it" Why, just
watch him there on that bough. surely
he is enjoying himself immensely!
It is when Nature writing begins to
lambaste animals, through some special
amimus, that one is able to see clearly
the evils which result from considering
the brute creatures as In all things like
unto ourselves. The special campaign
now being conducted by various persons
in this country, and probably through
out the world, against the house cat is
case in point. One of the charges
most commonly made Is that cats an
nually slay huge numbers" of birds,
but no statistics are ever given, and. in
deed, there is no way of getting any.
Mostly such writer's harp on the theme
that the cat is "sneaking." thereby at
tributing to it the opposite of a manly
quality. The plain truth is that the
cat is clever in stalking It's prey, that
is all. 1t Is untrue and unjust to label
it "sneaking" 1t merely functions as
Nature made it, and if any one objects,
he should send his objection higher
than this earth.