Evening star., 1932-04-28

Spring has come to our garden be-
I cause the thrush has returned
His brown back and spotted chest
more than the green Of grass and
shrubs and trees, tells the truth OF the
season.
No bareback Of cold weather can
fool us now. since the flute-like tones
of the thrush have begun to sound in
our trees.
Which thrush, Of the several varie-
ties, this one is, We are not enough OF
en- ornithologist to know. In fact, 1t
makes little difference.
A thrush is q thrush, after all.
Some are larger than others. some
broWner. some with larger white spots
on their vests, some nave creStS and
some 90 without, but each and every
one of them is a thrush, which Is Just
another way of saying that it is a
gentleman.
A gentleman of birds is the thrush.
as well as the finest musician OF them
all.
AS he walks around on the lawn in
the twilight. or hops scdately beneath
the shrubbery. he gives the distinct
impression that he is there by right
OF eminent domain.
This is I'll the more queer. too, since
it said that originally he was woods
bird. One variety is even called the
wood thrush.
He got over his fear of mankind
early however, and today is one Of our
tamest of song birds. He seems to pre-
fer to be near the hauntS OF man.
The gardener may be grateful to
him for coming so early when there
is so much park land to the east, where
he might live free from the dangers
which beset him near human habita-
tion.
No doubt the thrush. as the robin,
finds a cultivated garden fine place,
veriLable larder, filled with the most
delicious worms bugs. insects. grubs
and so on. The mealy condition oil
lawns and borders. in a more or less
constant state Of cultivation. evidently
appeals to him. This Is just what q
| thrush prefers.
Here, beneath lilac and althea, or
yonder where rhododendrons grow on
the north side of the house. he will
walk at his ease at Sundown, eating
himself a supper before he goes to bed.
The thrush, honest gentleman that
he is, never heard the mandate OF
human physicians, that eating before
going to bed ''is bad for you
What a lot Of pother the birds have
missed!
No doubt II they had doctors, too
they would have been told long ago that
raw worm. especially when eaten at one
gulp, is very bad for you.
As for strict diet OF insects. caught
on the wing. no sane thrush $50 they
would have been advised would think
of eating In such a manner
man (and gentleWoman, too but he
is a musician above all.
A gentleman musician, If you will.
Perhaps 1t Is absurd OF us, but we
never hear a thrush singing without
thinking OF Fritz Kreisler and his vio-
| lin.
Trueness OF note, loveliness Of tone
charm of melody-the thrush in our
garden has all these.
He is one Of the real singers Of the
bird world
How his beautiful melody. clear, visit
full. strikes across the wings of the
morning
1t is not choppy, as the call Of the
robin is. nor strident, like the chatter
Of the big blue jays, but is a satisfying
musical bit, of a definite song pattern
In its execution the song of the
thrush leaves nothing to be demanded
1t is perfect, in its way, a veritable
liquid melody, the very essence Of the
great woods.
There is a great woods around this
town, but you have to know where to 60
to find 1t.