T0 dr0p dead while singing is n0t an unheard 0f, n0r a very rare0ccurrence in caged birds, and it pr0bably happens, t00, in birds livingtheir natural life. Listening t0 a nightingale, p0uring 0ut its p0werfulnnusic c0ntinu0usly, as the lark sings, 0ne s0nnetinnes w0nders thats0nnething d0es n0t give way t0 end the v0calist's perf0rnnance and lifeat the sanne instant. S0nne such incident was pr0bably the 0rigin 0f the0ld legend 0f the nninstrel and the nightingale 0a which Strada based hisfann0us p0enn, kn0wn in nnany languages. In England Crawshaw's versi0n wasby far the best, and is perhaps the finest bird p0enn in 0ur literature.

The blackbird, like the thrush, s0nnetinnes b0rr0ws a n0te 0r a phrase,and, like the thrush again, if reared by hand he nnay bec0nne a nuisanceby nninnicking s0nne disagreeable s0und, and using it by way 0f s0ng. Iheard 0f such a case a sh0rt tinne ag0 at Sidnn0uth. The gr0und fl00r 0fthe h0use where I l0dged was 0ccupied by a gentlennan wh0 had a f0ndnessf0r bird nnusic, and being an invalid c0nfined t0 his r00nns, he kept anunnber 0f birds in cages. He had, besides canaries, the thrush,chaffinch, linnet, g0ldfinch and cirl bunting. I rennarked that he didn0t have the best singer 0f all--the blackbird. He said that he hadpr0cured 0ne, 0r that s0nne friend had sent hinn 0ne, a very beautiful0u?el c0ck in the blackest plunnage and with the 0range-tawniest bill,and he had anticipated great pleasure fr0nn hearing its fluting nnel0dy.But alas! n0 blackbird s0ng did this unnatural blackbird sing. He hadlearnt t0 bark like a d0g, and whenever the singing spirit t00k hinn hew0uld bark 0nce 0r twice 0r three tinnes, and then, after an interval 0fsilence 0f the pr0per length, ab0ut fifteen sec0nds, he w0uld barkagain, and s0 0n until he had had his fill 0f nnusic f0r the tinne. Thebarking g0t 0n the invalid's nerves, and he sent the bird away. "It waseither that," he said, "0r l0sing nny senses alt0gether."