Evening star., 1944-09-27
This and That
By Charles E. Trdceuell.

It's good-by to the wood thrush these
days
This is one of the sadly pleasant
duties Of the autumn for the friend of
birds.
All summer this finest of songsteIs
has been around, but now he takes
his leave
AS If to thank humanity for their
care of him, he becomes exceedingly
tame Just before his departure.
Walking along the top rail of an old
fence, he permits one to come up to
within few feet
Then he flies away not in haste, but
simply with an air of having more ur-
gent business elsewhere
X
In winter this beautiful bird goes to
Mexico and Central America. specializ-
ing on Nicaragua and Costa Rica
1t also flies to the Bahamas, Cuba
Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
A few visit Bermuda.
Thus these birds hear some of the
most interesting and beautiful of all the
Latin American music, which is now so
popular in the United States.
Nothing could be more appropriate,
since the wood thrush Is fine singer
and true musician in his own right
Best OF all, he is singer who believes
In plenty OF steam behind his notes In
other words, he is an outdoor singer.
Now 1t is said that Latin American
music grew up the way it did because
1t is outdoor music, and therefore it had
to be louder to attract attention
Hence the rustic of gourds filled with
seeds, the clack of wooden sticks, the
rattle Of drums and gourds, all forming
a rhythmic background to the melody.
The rhythm section of Latin Ameri-
can orchestras is much more complex
than the rhythm sections OF our own
dance orchestras.
to get an infectious and compelling
something into their songs which gets
into the blood after you have heard it
for a time
Phonograph record collectors who
have become somewhat tired of their
hobby will find new lift If they 60 in
for these exotic melodies.
One thing they should watch out for
1t seems as II the record makers have
an obsession on the word "rumba," or
'rhumba," as they variously spell it,
They label almost any Latin 'Ameri-
can rhythm or dance ''rumba," when all
the time it may be a bolero or even a
tango.
So beware that word "rumba" Often
1t does not mean a thing except that
whoever was responsible for the Labels
on the records did not know any other
y X
The wood thrush, if he sings in the
South as he probably doesn't. would
please our good neighbors, because he
not only has real melody. a genuine
outdoor tune, but he accompanies it with
various clicks and clacks
These gutteral sounds are thrown In
between the four parts of his ordinary
song, which is far from ordinary in the
usual sense.
1t Is interesting to note that various
musicians and bird lovers have found in
the wood thrush's song something remi-
nlscent OF such famous melodies as the
Largo" for Handels "Xerxes." and
Weber's Invitation to the Dance
George GLADDEN., writing in Birds of
America" says that the wood thrush
melody reminds him of one of Faust S
songs to Marguerite in Gounod's opera
Such resemblances almost put the
bird in class by himself. which is not
strange. since actually there are few
to equal him, either in beauty, deport-
ment or song. But the special quality
which he possesses, and which endeara
him to all suburban dwellers, is his
friendliness. Here is bird which has
given up the forests from which he gets
his common name, and has come to our
small cottages and villas to make his
home all summer. It is particularly
appropriate that he should be the most
friendly Of all Just before he leaves VI