THE MERITS OF BIRD SONG.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20086, 15 November 1930, Page 11

THE MERITS OF BIRD SONG.

NIGHTINGALE, BLACKBIRD, AND THRUSH. (B7 feS l? r . C ' J - Patten in the ~ Manchester Guardian.") land Alanl and U nn t thi / ?7 t!cle was o£ Engautumn l 7 . New Zealand, and of ! early IsUne addf.in" 1 ?' la ' e it is an interhppn in - j e . discussion that has carried on in our own columns.) Bird song is now almost wrapped in slumber. August is the most silent month of the year; September closely follows suit. Yet during this season of moult, when the glow of life is temporarily slackened, a few familiar species, notably the robin, wren, skylark, and song thrush, carry on in somewhat desultory strains. Echoes of melodies which flowed incessantly for the past five or six months still float around us, and we are led to wonder if it be possible to assess their relative merits. This is not so easy as it might at first sight appear, for, among other factors, much depends upon individual tastes. If with common consent we regard the nightingale as the "prince of song, we must bear in mind that there are other birds possessed of sweeter tones. Flexibility, force, volume, and variety of phrases stand out unrivalled, especially when we take into account the tiny pipe—the calibre of which could bo completely occluded by a thin wax match—which transmits the voice. We cannot think of another bird who, dwelling for a lengthened period on a note of exquisite fluty tone, can impart to it such a deep tinge of pathos as it descends through almost imperceptible gradations of the chromatic scale. Nor can we think of another bird with a voice more ' passionate in crescendo, more subtle and mystic in diminuendo. Still, when listening to the blackcap we are impressed with a performance less mechanical, a voice at once sweet and soulful. Here is a song by no •means familiar. Tor the' superb vocalis' is very shy, elusive, and retiring, and he will cut short his melody on the least suspicion of danger. No bird more eagerly seeks cover when an intruder impinges upon the quietude of his sequestered preserves. For that reason, more often than not, wo catch mere fragments of his dulcet warbling, which even then almost seems to suffocate him with emotion, as his voice gathers speed and simulates the rippling, silver-toned babble of the brooklet. But this intermittent gurgling carol, though priceless in quality of tone, conveys but a faint idea of the sweetness, purity, and depth which this soulful songster creates when, unsuspicious, he comes to a standstill and warbles his verses to their full extent. Then the outburst surges passionately; then there is a rolling and bubbling of rich and rare melody, deliciously sweet and mellow in tone. In quality the socalled "water bubble" rolls excel those of the nightingale. The blackcap, however, is possessed of a .much ' more limited compass, and his modest vocal repertory, while extremely dulcet, admits of little variety. Garden Warbler, Blackbird, and Song Thrush. , It requires a practised ear to distinguish the ravishing song of the garuen warbler from that of the blackcap. The lyric of both partakes of the same charming setting; in both we hear the "babble" of the brooklet. But the gushing notes of thj garden warbler are not so luscious, and he sings so hurriedly and stops so abruptly that the finer finish prescriptive of the blackcap's song is found lacking. In some cases the quality of tone equals that of the blackcap; and since there is considerable range of variation in the singing powers of both species, it is a little difficult to asseSs their vocal merits. Personally, I give preference to the i blackcap. The blackbird's vocal emotions surge "after sundown. If alarmed, before retiring to roost, he is particularly fussy and vociferous; but, if undisturbed, his soulful evensong glows with melody when the stars begin to peep. Doubtless it was an enchanting evening lyric that led T. B. Brown to pen- these exquisite lines: — O Blackbird} what a boy you are! How you do go it! Blowing your bugle to that one sweet star— How yoji do blow it! And does she hear you, blackbird boy, so far? Or is it wasted breath? f "Good Lord! she is so bright ; To-night!" The blackbird saith. Familiarity \fith the blackbird's song has not lessened our ardour one whit to hear it again and again. We rejoice to see our sable friend emerge from cover, and from an outlying branch of a tall tree, from a cbimney-pot, from a housetop, or from the summit of a flagstaff oper his gilded beak and blow his bugle to "that one sweet star." No songster scores higher marks for peculiarly rich, flute-like tones, for rhythm,'for regular and measured time, and above all for motif. The music of the and song thrush is quite different, yet many persons are puzzled. Let 'us bear the following points in mind. The song of the blackbird is lyrical. He sings an unbroken stanza with quiet enthusiasm; he never hurries or grows excited. He sings to a Pleasured beat! The song thrush jubilantly repeats his short phrases. His stanzas are disjointed; his song is rhapsodical, melodious, yet wild, buoyant, and decisive throughout —expressing the very acme of joy. By his indefatigable energies he dominates the feathered choir. He borrows largely the notes of other songsters, and is always in the limelight. The song thrush is provided with an extensive repertory, but, it is marred with occasional discordant tones. The blackbird is conservative; he has less to say, but the quality of his exposition excels that of his companions. * A sprinkling of rain acts as a stimulus to both birds, more especially to the blackbird, who may be heard blowing his bugle imperturbably during a thunderstormT Both are such familiar earden companions, and we hear their music so incessantly from every vantage point, 'that we have dropped into the habit of comparing the two voices. As a matter of fact, these run along such divergent lines that their merits are more easily assessed when they are not bracketed. For instance, the impressive individuality of the blackbird's and blackcap's lyrics, unblemished, Bweet, and restful, offers something that touches the strings of the heart. In this direction I should place the voices of these two on a pinnacle. On the other hand, the brilliant rhapsodies of the nightingale and song thrush, with their sudden breaks, their borrowed phrases, and their subtle mimicries, offer omething dramatic — if, indeed, not theatrical —which appeals to the ear rather than to the heart. True, the nightingale far exceeds the song thrush in vocal powers; yet it is clear that the two songs can be conveniently bracketed. Both birds arc premier vocalists. "Linnet and Skylark. There is something highly attractive about the linnet's voice. All his utterances are delightfully sweet; his callnotes are as arresting as bis song. Both are so cheery and mellow, yet so lusty, and decidedly robust. When we halt to

rest and regale ourselves amidst heath and gorse, we catch his dulcet lay, wafted by the upland breeze: music dedicated to the mountains; music which so few upland species contribute. Sometimes we are favoured with a duet, a trio, ot a small chorus. No canticle is more welcome, rendered to such a pleasing setting. . I yearn to hear the linnet's song; it is not only sweet but compan-' ionable, and makes a strong appeal to the heart. It merits a place alongside that of the blackbird and blackcap. The skylark deserves to rank among the major vocalists, though it hardly attains the high position assigned to the foregoing species. Its popularity depends, in a large measure, upon the unique manner in which it pours forth its sweetly melodious carol, which flows on continuously and apparently without the slightest effort, as the songster ascends in steep spirals on rapidly beating pinions far away into the blue expanse. Truly, here is a wonderful feat of muscular endurance on the wing coupled with marvellous flexibility of the voice. There is a joyousness in that voice, a message, symbolic of freedom, carried to heaven's gates. Like several other great songsters, the skylark embodies in its verses the notes of many other birds, which are reproduced with marked accuracy. Below the ranks of these and other premier vocalists we can follow the "lesspr lights" through a gradual descending scale, until ultimately we afrive at the other end of the long gamut, where song is represented by monotonous, toneless, arfd even discordant utterances.