More Songs of Wild Birds. By E. M. Nicholson and Ludwig Koch. (H. F . & G. Witherby.) Gramophone Records and Illustrated. 15s. PERHAPS the best thing t h a t can be said of these three new double records of British Bird songs is t h a t they are even better than the first set. Not all are of equal m e r i t ; but most are extraordinarily good. And, unlike the first records, many of these give clear records of songs t h a t are not very easy for most observers to hear in the open. To listen to a Wood-Lark in almost continuous, full song for two minutes is a rare treat. Those who find difficulty in distinguishing the songs of Blackcap and Garden-Warbler should have much less difficulty after listening to the records of the two species. There is just enough of the characteristic call-note of the Willow-Tit--happily without any background interruptions--to enable many who do not already distinguish it from the Marsh-Tit to go out into the country with hopes of discovering it in districts from which it has not yet been recorded. And so on. Two of the records might be described as " Studies in Ornithological Cacophony ". One is taken underneath a Heronry, and records the weird bill-clappering and strident cries of old and young Herons, whilst a number of other woodland species (carefully noted in the Programme of the Records) provide a more musical background. And there
Volume:
Issue 8
